Racial Disparities in Respectful Maternity Care During Pregnancy and Birth After Cesarean in Rural United States.

Data were self-reported and came from a convenience sample recruited through birth advocacy networks on social media. The sample had a substantially higher VBAC rate than national United States data, so it may not reflect typical rural births. The racial and ethnic distribution was not fully representative of childbearing women living in rural areas across the United States. The sample size limited deeper analysis of rural participants from racialized groups or stratification by specific racial or ethnic groups. The study did not collect clinical histories or clinical outcomes, so it cannot link these experiences to clinical outcomes. Participants recalled births within the previous 5 years, so recall bias may be present, though the authors say it is likely relatively minor. Participants were referred to as women, but gender identity was not queried, so the sample may include people who do not identify as women. The analyses were descriptive and did not adjust for other factors that might explain the differences.

The article text does not include an author conflicts declaration. The publication types list non-U.S. government research support.

Do not read the similar rural and metropolitan respect scores as evidence that rural maternity care is equitable. The sample was recruited through birth advocacy networks, had a substantially higher VBAC rate than national data, and rural patients from racialized groups reported less respectful care.