25 Effect of access to antenatal care on risk of preterm birth among migrant women in Italy - a population-based cohort study - OP 32 - Health Status

Q: What is the study objective regarding migration status and preterm birth?

The study assesses the association between maternal migration status and preterm birth, and whether better access and utilisation of antenatal care mitigates the risk.

Q: How was preterm birth risk evaluated in this research?

Preterm birth risk (<37 weeks) was analysed using an adjusted multivariable logistic regression mediation model estimating both mediated and residual effects.

Q: What role does antenatal care play in the increased preterm birth risk among migrants?

Access to and utilisation of antenatal care mediated 62% of the excess risk; optimal access and utilisation could reduce preterm birth risk by about 37%.

Sep 30, 2026

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Population-based cohort evidence evaluates how maternal migration status relates to preterm birth and whether improved access and utilisation of antenatal care reduce that risk. Using women’s first singleton births aged 15–55 in Italy during 2016–2021 from a regional health information system, the study estimates preterm birth (<37 weeks) via adjusted logistic regression mediation models. Documented and undocumented migrants show higher preterm rates than Italian citizens; antenatal care mediates 62% of excess risk, with optimal access potentially cutting preterm risk by about one-third.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Objective

Design and Setting

Population and Methods

Outcome Measures

Results

Conclusion

vi72 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180.199 25 Effect of access to antenatal care on risk of preterm birth among migrant women in Italy: a population-based cohort study Eleonora Genovese1, Anna Cantarutti1, Francesca Arienti2, Riccardo Boracchini1, Sara Ornaghi2, Giovanni Corrao1, Alessandro Ghidini3,4, Anna Locatelli2 1Laboratory of Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Division of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy 3Antenatal Testing Center, Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, United States 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, United States OP 32: Health Status 1, B210 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 09:00 - 10:00 Objective: To assess the association between maternal migration status and preterm birth, and whether better access to and utilisation of antenatal care in pregnancy mitigates the risk of preterm birth. Design: Population-based cohort. Setting: Health management information system of the Lombardy region, Italy. Population: First singleton births of women aged 15–55 years at 22- 42 gestational weeks, between 2016 and 2021 . Methods: Assessed the risk of preterm birth (<37 weeks) . Main outcome measures: A multivariable logistic regression mediation model calculated the mediation effect of access to and utilsation of antenatal care in the association between maternal migrant status and preterm birth, as well as the residual effect not mediated by it. Analyses were adjusted for the socio-demographic and pregnant characteristics of the women. Results: Of 349,753 births in the cohort, Italian nationality accounted for 71 %; 28.4 % were documented migrants and 0.4 % undocumented migrants. Among them, 5.3 %, 6.4 %, and 9.3 % hada preterm birth, respectively. Using deliveries of Italian citizens as referent, migrants had a significantly increased risk of preterm birth (adjusted relative risk: 1.22, 95 % confidence interval: 1.18–1.27) . Access to and utilisation of antenatal care mediated 62 % of such risk. We calculated that optimal access to and utilisation of antenatal care could lead to a 37 % reduction in preterm birth risk. Conclusion: Part of the excess of preterm birth among documented and undocumented migrants in Italy can be explained by sub-optimal access to and utilisation of antenatal care through the National 2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health Abstract Book vi73 Health Services. Improving access to/utilisation of antenatal care among all pregnant women would reduce the risk of preterm birth by about one-third.

FAQs

What is the study objective regarding migration status and preterm birth?

The study assesses the association between maternal migration status and preterm birth, and whether better access and utilisation of antenatal care mitigates the risk.

How was preterm birth risk evaluated in this research?

Preterm birth risk (<37 weeks) was analysed using an adjusted multivariable logistic regression mediation model estimating both mediated and residual effects.

What role does antenatal care play in the increased preterm birth risk among migrants?

Access to and utilisation of antenatal care mediated 62% of the excess risk; optimal access and utilisation could reduce preterm birth risk by about 37%.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Cart