Portrait of birth care in Anglophones of Quebec
There is mounting evidence of inequality in newborn health between Francophones and Anglophones of Quebec, but differences in access to birth care have not been studied. The objectives of this project are to 1) assess the location and residential distance of hospitals where Anglophone infants are born, and 2) determine if Anglophones in metropolitan Montreal prefer to give birth in English hospitals or the hospital closest to their residence. Our hypothesis is that Anglophones are more likely to travel further to receive care in English. We will perform a population-based study using birth registration certificates in Quebec from 1981-2019. The main exposure will be English vs. French mother tongue. Outcomes will include the distance between residential postal code and postal code of the place of birth, and the official language of the birth hospital (English vs. French). We will measure the association between language and hospital distance using multivariable linear regression, and will investigate whether characteristics such as maternal age, region, education, country of birth, material deprivation, and time period influence the associations. We will use multivariable logistic regression to examine associations with the language of hospitals. We will explore whether Anglophones who are born in hospitals that are further from home have a greater risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, or stillbirth. The results will clarify whether access to birth care is a determinant of health among pregnant Anglophone women. This project falls under the “health or social inequalities” HCALM research theme and involves working with communities and governmental officials to reduce social inequalities among minority language groups.
Outputs:
Auger, N., Bilodeau-Bertrand, M., & Lafleur, N. (2023). Access to perinatal healthcare in minority Anglophones: Hospital type and birth outcomes. PloS one, 18(4), e0284586. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284586
Auger, N., Bilodeau-Bertrand, M., Lafleur, N., & Lewin, A. (2024). Underlying Causes of Ethnocultural Inequality in Pregnancy Outcomes: Role of Hospital Proximity. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 26(1), 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01545-7
Abstract accepted to present the findings of work funded by Dialogue McGill (Ethnocultural inequality in pregnancy outcomes: Comparison of Francophones and Anglophones in Montreal) at the 2023 Colloquium on the Health of Official Language Minority Community by Health Canada, virtual poster session.
Abstract accepted to present the findings of work funded by Dialogue McGill (Access to perinatal healthcare: Risk of adverse birth outcomes among minority Anglophones in Montreal, Canada) at the 2023 Colloquium on the Health of Official Language Minority Community by Health Canada, virtual poster session.