Association of Family History With Start of Prenatal Care

The start of prenatal care (PNC) sooner than 14 weeks of gestation has been associated with positive birth outcomes for the mother and baby according to the Center for Disease Control. Women who have a family history of premature birth and birth defects may be motivated to adhere to healthy behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between family history of premature birth and birth defects with the start of PNC sooner than 14 weeks. The socio-ecological model was the theoretical foundation for this study. This quantitative study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey of women who used public health department services for Women, Infants, and Children. Chi-Square analyses were used to determine the association between the independent variables (family history of premature birth and birth defects) and the dependent variable (start of PNC sooner than 14 weeks of gestation). The analysis was adjusted for confounding variables that included race, ethnicity, marital status, level of education, and Medicaid coverage. Without accounting for covariates, family history of premature birth (p = 0.088) and birth defects (p = 0.285) were not significantly associated with the start of PNC sooner than 14 weeks of gestation. Accounting for covariates, family history of premature birth and birth defects with the start of PNC sooner than 14 weeks of gestation were not found to be statistically significant (p > 0.01). Level of education (p = 0.002) and Medicaid coverage (p = 0.025) were significantly associated with the dependent variable. Implications for social change include increasing access to Medicaid coverage and increasing educational levels especially among women with low incomes.