The impact of COVID-19 on preconception care and utilization of prenatal care
Grantee: Morgan State University
Principal Investigator: Mian Hossain
Project Number: R42MC49147
Project Date: 7/1/2023
Age group(s)
- Women/Maternal
Targeted/Underserved Population
- African American
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a rapid shift in the delivery of prenatal care services to telehealth modalities due to the inaccessibility of traditional care services and high exposure risks of in-person healthcare visits. Prior to the pandemic, obstetricians utilized telehealth with specific populations. Studies during this time suggest that care delivered via telehealth is associated with positive outcomes, specifically the management of gestational diabetes, cigarette smoking cessation, and breastfeeding initiation. Although telehealth has the potential to improve access for patients who face transportation and childcare barriers, telehealth may also exacerbate health inequities. African Americans are less likely to utilize telehealth than their white counterparts, and if utilized, the audio/telephone is the preferred modality. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color, who already experience elevated risks of adverse perinatal outcomes. In addition to the disproportionate burden of adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth experienced by African Americans and the ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis, it is critical to ensure consistent, high-quality, uninterrupted prenatal care for African American women. As such, the overall goal of the proposed research is to examine the association between receipt of preconception care and utilization of prenatal care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will specifically 1)examine whether there is a difference in the initiation, utilization, and preferred mode of delivery of prenatal care by receipt of preconception care; 2) examine the roles of race/ethnicity in the associations between receipt of preconception care and timing of initiation of prenatal care, prenatal care utilization and preferred mode of delivery of prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic and 3) determine if there are differences in contributing factors influencing utilization of telehealth for prenatal care by race/ ethnicity during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, we will conduct a secondary data analysis of data from the COVID-19 Supplement of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring Survey (PRAMS). This work is imperative in our quest to eliminate health inequities and prepare for a more patient-centered, resource efficient approach to prenatal care post-COVID-19 pandemic.<< Previous Next >>