Disparities in fertility knowledge among women from low and high resource settings presenting for fertility care in two United States metropolitan centers.

ABSTRACT: Background:Few studies have examined health literacy and fertility knowledge among women from low income, socio-culturally diverse communities presenting for fertility care in the United States. Our study sought to examine demographic predictors of fertility-related knowledge among infertile women from low and high-resource communities in two major metropolitan centers in the United States. Methods:Fertility Knowledge Assessments were administered to women presenting for fertility care at county medical centers serving low-resource, largely immigrant patients and to women from largely affluent populations presenting to comprehensive fertility centers in two cities. The influence of demographic predictors on fertility knowledge was examined through regression analysis. Results:A total of 143 women were included in our analysis. In the county hospital/low resource clinic (LR, n?=?70), the mean age was 32.8?±?6.1?years vs 35.0?±?5.0?years in the fee-for-service/high resource clinic (HR, n?=?73). Among the LR patients, 74% were immigrants, 71% had an annual income <$25,000 and 52% had completed high school. Among HR patients, 36% were immigrants, 60% had an annual income >$100,000, and 95% had some college or above. On average, women from HR settings scored 3.0 points higher on the Fertility Knowledge Assessment than their LR counterparts (p?

SUBMITTER: Hoffman JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7429753 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature