Reproductive Health Indicators for Asian Women in Massachusetts

Reproductive Health Indicators for Asian Women in Massachusetts

Susan E. Manning, MD, MPHCDC Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology

AssigneeMassachusetts Department of Public Health

Background• Asian-Americans are a diverse population• Often stereotyped as the “healthy minority”• Asian American women have highest life

expectancy (85.8 years) in U.S. • Grouping Asian Americans into a single category

can masks disparities in health outcomes

Births by Race and Asian Ethnicity, Massachusetts PRAMS, 2007-2010

Teen Births (<20 yrs) by Race and Asian Ethnicity, 2010 MA Birth Data

MA

White, N

H

Asian/PI

Asian In

dian

Cambodian

Chinese

Korean

Vietnamese

Other Asia

n/PI0

5

10

15

20

25

5.43.5

2.0

11.7

0.32.9Pe

rcen

t

** *

* Calculations based on 1-4 events are excluded.

Preterm Births by Race and Asian Ethnicity, 2010 MA Birth Data

MA

White, N

HAsia

n

Asian In

dian

Cambodian

Chinese

Korean

Vietnamese

Other Asia

n/PI0

5

10

15

20

25

8.6 8.2 8.1 7.59.4

6.78.4 8.8 9.3

Perc

ent

Low Birthweight Births by Race and Asian Ethnicity, 2010 MA Birth Data

MA

White, N

HAsia

n

Asian In

dian

Cambodian

Chinese

Korean

Vietnamese

Other Asia

n0

5

10

15

20

25

7.8 7.08.6

10.6 10.3

5.77.0 7.6

9.7

Perc

ent

Adequate Prenatal Care* by Race and Asian Ethnicity, MA Births 2010

MA

White, N

HAsia

n

Chinese

Cambodian

Asian In

dian

Vietnamese

Korean

Other Asia

n/PI0

102030405060708090

10084.9 87.3 85.1 87.2

81.6 85.4 86.3 86.0 81.3

Perc

ent

* Adequacy of prenatal care is based on the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization (APNCU) Index.

Unintended Pregnancy by Asian Ethnicity, MA PRAMS 2007-2010

MA

CambodianVietnameseOther AsianTotal Asian

FilipinoKorean

ChineseJapanese

Asian Indian

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 7032.5

48.738.8

34.526.3

25.424.8

23.517.3

13.4

Percent

**

*

*

* Statistically significantly lower than the state total.* Statistically significantly higher than the state total.

Breastfeeding Exclusively at 8 Weeks Asian Ethnicity, MA PRAMS 2007-2010

MA

FilipinoAsian Indian

JapaneseOther AsianTotal Asian

ChineseKorean

VietnameseCambodian

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 7045.9

63.947.4

43.842.842.3

41.237

33.532

Percent

No statistically significant differences observed.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) by Asian Ethnicity, MA PRAMS 2007-2010

Massachusetts

CambodianOther Asian

KoreanChinese

Total AsianJapanese

Asian IndianFilipino

Vietnamese

0 5 10 15 20 25

6.7

4.85.5

10.311.611.6

12.114.4

15.315.8

Percent

*

*

*

*

*

* Statistically significantly higher than the state total.

Postpartum Check-up by Asian Ethnicity, MA PRAMS 2007-2010

Massachusetts

FilipinoOther AsianVietnameseCambodianTotal Asian

KoreanChinese

Asian IndianJapanese

0 5 10 15 20 255.9

12.710.4

9.85.75.7

3.93.83.8

2.1

% of Women Not Receiving a 6-week Post-Partum Check-up

Percent

No statistically significant differences observed.

Discussion• Asian women as a group do as well or better than

other racial groups on a variety of reproductive health indicators

• Important differences exist when examined by subgroup

• Data limitations include small numbers for some subgroups and limited languages included in PRAMS (English and Spanish only)

• Disaggregation of Asian ethnic groups is needed to accurately reflect risk factors and health outcomes and appropriately inform interventions

Questions?