[Does public health insurance improve health care? The case of prenatal care for adolescents in Mexico]

Salud Publica Mex. 2016 Sep-Oct;58(5):561-568. doi: 10.21149/spm.v58i5.8246.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Objective:: To test the association between public health insurance and adequate prenatal care among female adolescents in Mexico.

Materials and methods:: Cross-sectional study, using the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2000, 2006, and 2012.We included 3 978 (N=4 522 296) adolescent (12-19) women who reported a live birth.We used logistic regression models to test the association of insurance and adequate (timeliness, frequency and content) prenatal care.

Results:: The multivariable predicted probability of timely and frequent prenatal care improved over time, from 0.60 (IC95%:0.56;0.64) in 2000 to 0.71 (IC95%:0.66;0.76) in 2012. In 2012, the probability of adequate prenatal care was 0.54 (IC95%:0.49;0.58); women with Social Security had higher probability than women with Seguro Popular and without health insurance.

Conclusion:: Having Social Security is associated with receipt of adequate prenatal care among adolescents in Mexico.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Insurance Coverage / statistics & numerical data
  • Insurance, Health / statistics & numerical data
  • Medically Uninsured
  • Mexico
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy in Adolescence* / statistics & numerical data
  • Prenatal Care / economics
  • Prenatal Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Social Security
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Young Adult