The Relationship Between Country of Origin and Prenatal Care Among Unauthorized Mexican and Guatemalan Immigrants.

This study examined how country of origin (Mexico or Guatemala) correlates with prenatal care utilization among unauthorized Latina immigrants, who encounter disparate access to health care. Logistic regression and negative binomial regression analyses were used to examine prenatal care adequacy and number of visits among a sample of 4188 unauthorized Latina immigrants. Findings suggest that originating from Guatemala predicted increased likelihood of inadequate prenatal care and fewer prenatal care visits. Implications can inform policy and practice to strengthen prenatal care utilization, especially for unauthorized Guatemalan immigrants. Future research should examine independent predictors of prenatal care for Mexican and Guatemalan women.