Meier K J, McFarlane D R
Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 53201.
Am J Public Health. 1994 Sep;84(9):1468-72. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.9.1468.
This study examines whether state family planning expenditures and abortion funding for Medicaid-eligible women might reduce the number of low-birthweight babies, babies with late or no prenatal care, and premature births, as well as the rates of infant and neonatal mortality.
Using a pooled time-series analysis from 1982 to 1988 with the 50 states as units of analysis, this study assessed the impact of family planning expenditures and abortion funding on several public health outcomes while controlling for other important variables and statistical problems inherent in pooled time-series studies.
States that funded abortions had a significantly higher rate of abortions and significantly lower rates of teen pregnancy, low-birthweight babies, premature births, and births with late or no prenatal care. States that had higher expenditures for family planning had significantly fewer abortions, low-birthweight babies, births with late or no prenatal care, infant deaths, and neonatal deaths.
Funding abortions for Medicaid-eligible women and increasing the level of expenditures for family planning are associated with major differences in infant and maternal health in the United States.
本研究探讨针对符合医疗补助条件的女性的州计划生育支出和堕胎资金,是否可能减少低体重儿、未接受或较晚接受产前护理的婴儿以及早产的数量,以及婴儿和新生儿死亡率。
本研究采用1982年至1988年的合并时间序列分析,以50个州作为分析单位,在控制其他重要变量以及合并时间序列研究中固有的统计问题的同时,评估计划生育支出和堕胎资金对若干公共卫生结果的影响。
为堕胎提供资金的州,堕胎率显著更高,而青少年怀孕率、低体重儿出生率、早产率以及未接受或较晚接受产前护理的出生率则显著更低。计划生育支出较高的州,堕胎、低体重儿、未接受或较晚接受产前护理的出生、婴儿死亡和新生儿死亡的情况显著较少。
为符合医疗补助条件的女性提供堕胎资金以及增加计划生育支出水平,与美国婴儿和孕产妇健康方面的重大差异相关。