Socio-demographic inequalities across a range of health status indicators and health behaviours among pregnant women

Suboptimal health behaviours and maternal health conditions (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, underweight, depression and stress) a during pregnancy have been associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. The first aim of our study just published in BMC Pregnancy & Child Birth was to provide an overview of the self-reported health status and health behaviours of pregnant women under midwife-led primary care in the Netherlands. Our second aim was to identify potential differences in these health status indicators and behaviours according to educational level and ethnicity of the mothers.
We used data from the DELIVER study, a multicentre prospective cohort study conducted from September 2009 to March 2011 among 6711 pregnant women.
Lower educated women were 11 times more likely to smoke and 10 times more likely to experience low health control. They were also less likely to attend antenatal classes and not take folic acid supplementation, as well as somewhat more likely to skip breakfast daily, be obese, underweight and depressed or anxious. Non-western women were especially more likely not to take folic acid supplementation; have low health control beliefs and not to attend antenatal classes.
We concluded that substantial socio-demographic inequalities persist with respect to many health-related issues in medically low risk pregnancies in the Ne
therlands. Improved strategies are needed to address the specific needs of socio-demographic groups at higher risk and the structures underlying social inequalities in pregnant women.