Little is known about long-term national trends in birth outcomes and use of prenatal care in the rural population of the United States, or about intra-rural differences in adverse outcomes and inadequate prenatal care. This project examined changes in rates of adverse birth outcomes and prenatal care among U.S. rural residents between 1985-1987 and 1995-1997, and examined how rates of adverse outcomes and prenatal care have changed during these periods among rural residents from racial and ethnic minority groups. The study involved analyses of data from the Linked Birth Death Data Set, a national compilation of birth certificate data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study is assessing inter-decade changes in rural/urban areas and intra-rural differences in the rate of low birthweight, neonatal death, post neonatal mortality, and inadequate prenatal care.

Publications

• Poor Birth Outcome in the Rural United States: 1985-1987 to 1995-1997 (Final Report)
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 02/2008
  Rates of low birthweight, poor outcomes, and inadequate prenatal care among urban and rural areas were evaluated and compared from 1985-1997 using data from the Linked Birth-Death Data Set.
• Poor Birth Outcome in the Rural United States: 1985-1987 to 1995-1997 (Project Summary)
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 02/2008
  Rates of low birthweight, poor outcomes, and inadequate prenatal care among urban and rural areas were evaluated and compared from 1985-1997 using data from the Linked Birth-Death Data Set.