Homelessness Contributes To Pregnancy Complications

• Published in: Health Affairs Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 139 - 146
• Main Authors: Clark, Robin E., Weinreb, Linda, Flahive, Julie M., Seifert, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chevy Chase The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Ambulatory care; Ambulatory health care; Ambulatory medical care; Anxiety; Birth weight; Community development; Complications; Disorders; Domestic violence; Drug use; Emergency medical care; Emergency medical services; Emergency services; Enrollments; Expenditures; Families & family life; Government agencies; Health behavior; Health care; Health care industry; Health care policy; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Health services; Homeless people; Homelessness; Housing; Illnesses; Infants; Internet; Intervention; Maternal and infant welfare; Medicaid; Medical personnel; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mothers; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy complications; Premature birth; Shelters; Social factors; Software; Substance abuse; Substance use; Substance use disorder; Women; Womens health; United States > US; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 0278-2715; 1544-5208
• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05156

Homelessness during pregnancy poses significant health risks for mothers and infants. As health care providers increase their emphasis on social determinants of health, it is important to understand how unstable housing contributes to complications during pregnancy. We linked data about emergency shelter enrollees with Massachusetts Medicaid claims for the period January 1, 2008-June 30, 2015 to compare health care use and pregnancy complications for 9,124 women who used emergency shelter with those for 8,757 similar women who did not. Rates of mental illness and substance use disorders were significantly higher among homeless women. Adjusted odds of having nine pregnancy complications were also significantly higher for homeless women and remained substantially unchanged after we adjusted for behavioral health disorders. Emergency shelter users also had fewer ambulatory care visits and more months without billable care and were more likely to visit an emergency department. Homelessness and behavioral health disorders appear to be independent factors contributing to pregnancy complications and should be addressed simultaneously.