ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2024
Navigating geographical disparities: access to obstetric hospitals in maternity care deserts and across the United States.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Can Social Work Interventions Improve Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes? A Systematic Review.Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's HealthPooled it
- How to Conduct Usability Testing of Medical Education Simulations: Methods Tutorial Using a Telemedicine Simulation for Maternal Care.JMIR medical education · 2026Article
- Spatial and Temporal Trends of Access to Birthing Hospitals in Illinois, 2016-2021.Preventing chronic disease · 2026Article
- Effect of Hospital Obstetrics Unit Closures on Travel Time to Obstetric Care in the United States.O&G open · 2026Article
- Attrition of the Midwifery Workforce: Understanding Factors Associated With Leaving the Profession.Health services research · 2026Article
- Postpartum Health Disparities During the Birth Hospitalization in the United States: A Scoping Review.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Maternal Weathering and Infant Health: Understanding Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth Among American Indians.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Association of Maternal Residence with Failure to Detect Fetal Congenital Heart Disease.Pediatric cardiology · 2026Article
- Tropical cyclone exposure and risk of adverse birth outcomes in urban and rural areas of Georgia.Environmental research communications · 2026Article
- Advances in fully integrated wearable near-infrared spectroscopy: hardware innovations and biomedical applications.JPhys photonics · 2026Review
- Seasonality, Weather, and Obstetric Level of Care: An Analysis of Rural Delivery Locations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Postpartum readmission for hypertension: Validating a predictive model with incorporation of neighborhood-level social determinants of health.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Healthcare Access Through Digital Coordination: A Nationwide Analysis of Obstetrics and Gynecology E-Referral Patterns in Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- SMFM Special Statement: Opportunities to improve access to maternal-fetal medicine care in rural and underserved communities.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Maternal healthcare deserts in West Texas.Journal of rural medicine : JRM · 2026Article
- Risk-Stratified Screening for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety: Integrating Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and Psychosocial Context.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Safe to Deliver: Black Women's Perceptions of Social Safety in Perinatal Care Settings.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Pregnancy as a journey of care and connection: Indigenous women's experiences navigating health systems and community support.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Congenital Syphilis: From Near-Elimination to Crisis.American journal of public health · 2026Article
- Assessing Racial/Ethnic Variation and Trends in Vaginal Birth after Cesarean in California: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linked Birth Certificate and Hospital Discharge Records.American journal of perinatology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAccess to maternity care in the U.S. remains inequitable, impacting over two million women in maternity care "deserts." Living in these areas, exacerbated by hospital closures and workforce shortages, heightens the risks of pregnancy-related complications, particularly in rural regions. This study investigates travel distances and time to obstetric hospitals, emphasizing disparities faced by those in maternity care deserts and rural areas, while also exploring variances across races and ethnicities.
methodsThe research adopted a retrospective secondary data analysis, utilizing the American Hospital Association and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Provider of Services Files to classify obstetric hospitals. The study population included census tract estimates of birthing individuals sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2017-2021 American Community Survey. Using ArcGIS Pro Network Analyst, drive time and distance calculations to the nearest obstetric hospital were conducted. Furthermore, Hot Spot Analysis was employed to identify areas displaying significant spatial clusters of high and low travel distances.
resultsThe mean travel distance and time to the nearest obstetric facility was 8.3 miles and 14.1 minutes. The mean travel distance for maternity care deserts and rural counties was 28.1 and 17.3 miles, respectively. While birthing people living in rural maternity care deserts had the highest average travel distance overall (33.4 miles), those living in urban maternity care deserts also experienced inequities in travel distance (25.0 miles). States with hotspots indicating significantly higher travel distances included: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Census tracts where the predominant race is American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) had the highest travel distance and time compared to those of all other predominant races/ethnicities.
conclusionsOur study revealed significant disparities in obstetric hospital access, especially affecting birthing individuals in maternity care deserts, rural counties, and communities predominantly composed of AIAN individuals, resulting in extended travel distances and times. To rectify these inequities, sustained investment in the obstetric workforce and implementation of innovative programs are imperative, specifically targeting improved access in maternity care deserts as a priority area within healthcare policy and practice.
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