Geographic Differences in Preconception Health Indicators Among Ohio Women Who Delivered Live Births, 2019-2021.

Abstract

To determine whether geographic differences in preconception health indicators exist among Ohio women with live births, we analyzed 9 indicators from the 2019-2021 Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey (N = 14,377) by county type. Appalachian women reported lower rates of folic acid intake and higher rates of depression than women in other counties. Appalachian and rural non-Appalachian women most often reported cigarette use. Suburban women reported lower rates of diabetes, hypertension, and unwanted pregnancy than women in other counties. Preconception health differences by residence location suggest a need to customize prevention efforts by region to improve health outcomes, particularly in regions with persistent health disparities.