Racial Representation in United States and Australian Obstetric Research [13H

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: To describe racial/ethnic composition in United States (US)/Australian obstetric research, represented by the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) and Australian Research Centre for Health of Women and Babies (ARCH) trials. METHODS: MFMU studies were identified through PubMed and ARCH studies through their online publication listing from 2011 to 2016. Observational and randomized cohorts and primary and secondary data analyses were included. Studies with racial/ethnic-based enrollment were excluded. Racial composition was expressed as the mean racial percentages among studies (ie: studies weighted equally regardless of sample size). Racial percentages in MFMU studies were compared to US registered births (2015) and ARCH compared to Australian census ancestry data (2016). RESULTS: 38 MFMU studies included 580,282 women. Racial/ethnic composition (% [SD]) included White 41.7 [12.3], Hispanic 28.1 [15.4], Black 26.2 [12.3], Asian 3.6 [2.3], and American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) 0.2 [0.02]. No studies reported Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) separately. Comparatively, registered US births (%) were White 75.7, Hispanic 28.1, Black 16.1, Asian/Pacific Islander 7.1, and AI/AN 1.1. 20 ARCH studies included 51,873 women. The most reported groups were White (76.5 [17.4]), Asian (15.2 [14.8]), and Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander (13.9 [30.5]), compared to the estimated population of White 88.7, Asian 9.4, and Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander 2.8. No studies reported Black race separately. CONCLUSION: There is diverse racial/ethnic representation in studies by MFMU and ARCH, with possible opportunities to increase enrollment, or the reporting of Asian, AI/AN, and NHOPI races in US studies and Black race in Australian studies.