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The COVID-19 outbreak and response disrupted all facets of everyday life, especially health care service delivery. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the pandemic’s effects on health care access, and research shows that community-level traumatic events may impact maternal mental health and some perinatal health outcomes.
The pandemic has also illuminated the myriad health disparities that exist within the U.S. as communities of color across the country have been disproportionally affected.
In a study published in Behavioral Medicine, CUNY SPH faculty Diana Romero, Meredith Manze, Glen Johnson, and alumna Dari Goldman explored the association of race and various social factors on pregnancy-related behaviors among women in New York State, comparing those who were pregnant prior to with those who were pregnant during the pandemic.
Multivariate analyses revealed that individuals who were pregnant during the pandemic, lived in New York City, participated in social welfare programs, lacked health insurance, and/or were essential workers were more likely to report delays in prenatal and postpartum care and/or more changes or negative experiences around such care. Delays in accessing prenatal and postpartum care was between 20 and 30 times greater among those pregnant during the pandemic. In bivariate analysis, the team found race/ethnicity to be significantly associated with numerous health care access/utilization and other disparities, but the effect of COVID proved to obscure those events in multivariable analysis, necessitating further examination.
“These findings underscore the need for universal health insurance and improved social welfare programs, as well as improved access to prenatal and postpartum care for essential workers going forward,” Dr. Romero says.
