Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2017, Pages 1296-1303

Comparing Pregnancy Outcomes of Immigrants from Ethiopia and the Former Soviet Union to Israel, to those of Native-Born Israelis (Article)

Lubotzky-Gete S.* , Shoham-Vardi I. , Sheiner E.
  • a Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
  • b Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
  • c Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Abstract

To compare pregnancy outcomes of immigrants from Former-Soviet-Union (FSUI) and Ethiopia (EI) to those of Jewish-native-born Israelis (JNB), in context of universal health insurance. Birth outcomes of all singletons born in Soroka-University Medical-Center (1998–2011) of EI (n = 1,667) and FSUI (n = 12,920) were compared with those of JNB (n = 63,405). Low birthweight rate was significantly higher among EI (11.0 %) and slightly lower (7.0 %) among FSUI, compared to JNB (7.5 %). Preterm-delivery rates were similar to those of JNB. Both immigrant groups had significantly (p < 0.001) higher rates of perinatal mortality (PM) than JNB (21/1000 in EI, and 11/1000 in FSUI, compared to 9/1000). Using multivariable GEE models both immigrant groups had significantly increased risk for PM; however, EI had twice as much FSUI origin (OR 2.3, 95 % CI 1.6–3.4, and OR 1.3, 95 % CI 1.1–1.6, respectively). Universal health care insurance does not eliminate excess PM in immigrants, nor the gaps between immigrant groups. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

immigrants Adverse birth outcomes Preterm delivery perinatal mortality Ethiopia Israel Former soviet union

Index Keywords

Israel insurance perinatal mortality pregnancy complication Pregnancy Complications human epidemiology statistics and numerical data USSR ethnology Young Adult Humans migrant Adolescent Emigrants and Immigrants female risk factor Risk Factors pregnancy Retrospective Studies Ethiopia pregnancy outcome adult age Age Factors parity retrospective study Birth Weight Universal Coverage
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84983418799&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-016-0484-1&partnerID=40&md5=7e31eecb761f845038dfc01e80f551c5
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0484-1
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English