Influence of Family Income Level on Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Spain

Ana Ballesta-Castillejos, Juan Gómez-Salgado, Julián Rodríguez-Almagro and Antonio Hernández-Martínez
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Ana Ballesta-Castillejos: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Talavera de la Reina, 13600 Toledo, Spain
Juan Gómez-Salgado: Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
Julián Rodríguez-Almagro: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing of Ciudad Real, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
Antonio Hernández-Martínez: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing of Ciudad Real, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: For pregnant women, having a low family income status is associated with late prenatal attendance and an increased risk of adverse outcomes during pregnancy, delivery, and immediately after delivery. However, the influence of the socioeconomic level on maternal and child health may be minimal as long as the health system model is able to neutralise health inequity. For this reason, the objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the socioeconomic level assessed through monthly household income and obstetric and perinatal outcomes in the Spanish Health System, where midwives play a relevant role. To meet this objective, a cross-sectional observational study aimed at women who have been mothers between 2013 and 2018 in Spain was developed. The final study population was 5942 women. No statistically significant differences with linear trend were found between income level and obstetric and perinatal outcomes after the adjustment by confounding factors (pregnancy composite morbidity, p = 0.447; delivery composite morbidity, p = 0.590; perinatal composite morbidity, p = 0.082; postpartum composite morbidity, p = 0.407). The main conclusion is that, in the current Spanish health system, household income as an indicator of socioeconomic status is not related to perinatal outcomes after the adjustment by confounding factors. These results are likely due to the public model of our health system that serves all citizens on equal footing, although other social and individual factors may have influenced these results

Keywords: socioeconomic; public health; perinatal outcomes; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:14:p:5523-:d:381979

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