What factors hinder ethnic minority women in rural China from getting antenatal care? A retrospective data analysis

Association between ethnicity and health knowledge among the floating population in China

Background

Health equity remains a priority concerns by central government in China. This study aimed to explore ethnic gaps in access to health knowledge categories and sources based on the survey data from a publicly available dataset.

Methods

Data were from 2015 China Migrants Dynamic Survey issued by The National Health Commission in China. Descriptive analyses were performed to reflect geodemographic differences in the floating population of ethnic minority (EMFP) and Han majority (HMFP) with Chi-square test. Ethnic gaps in access to health knowledge categories and sources were explored with Poisson regressions, logistic regressions, and bivariate ordered probit regressions.

Results

In the sample, most of participants had inadequate health information literacy. There were significant differences regarding geodemographic factors between EMFP and HMFP. Illiterate EMFP had likelihood to obtain less health knowledge categories (IRR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.77–0.84) and sources (IRR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.80–0.86) as compared to illiterate HMFP. Most of correlations between health knowledge categories and sources were weak in the samples of EMFP and HMFP.

Conclusion

Ethnic disparities in access to health knowledge categories and sources among the floating population in China were confirmed. Further effective efforts should be provided to reduce ethnic disparities in access to health knowledge under the ethnicity-orientated support of public health resource.

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: Data Analysis Based on Pregnant Women Population from 2012 to 2018, in Nantong City, China

BACKGROUND

China has implemented a nation-wide policy to control mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since 2011, yet the efficacy of the control policy is less studied. The aim of the present study was to report the data in the prevention of MTCT of HIV in Nantong city, China.

METHODS

The screening and prevalence of HIV in pregnant women and the efficacy of prophylaxis in Nantong city, China, January 2012 through December 2018, were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among a total population of 410,044 pregnant women, anti-HIV was tested prenatally in 393,658 (96.0%) women and in 16,287 (3.97%) women at delivery. In total, 51 women were confirmed with HIV infection. After the exclusion of repeat pregnancies, the overall prevalence of HIV infection was 1.20/10 000 (48/400,377). The prevalence (6.75/10,000) in women tested at delivery was >5-fold higher than that (1.02/10,000) in prenatally screened women. Of 48 HIV-infected women, 12 terminated their pregnancies and 36 others delivered 36 neonates, of whom 35 were followed up. No HIV infection occurred in 24 children born to mothers with antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy along with other preventive measures. Among 11 children born to mothers who did not receive ART during pregnancy because of the absence of a prenatal anti-HIV test, none of the 6 children who were delivered by cesarean section and timely administered neonatal antiretroviral prophylaxis was infected, but 2 (40%) of 5 children who were spontaneously delivered and administered delayed antiretroviral prophylaxis were infected.

CONCLUSION

Prenatal identification of HIV infection and timely administration of all preventive measures can completely block MTCT of HIV. The data indicate that more efforts must be taken to ensure that all pregnant women are tested for anti-HIV during pregnancy. For pregnant women who missed the prenatal screening, a positive result in rapid anti-HIV test at delivery should be sufficient to take preventive measures to prevent MTCT of HIV.