Maternal Health | ISSUES | The Ohio State University

New Publication: Profiles of Stressful Life Experiences in Pregnancy

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We are excited to announce a new publication from the ISSUES Lab!

Profiles of stressful life experiences in pregnancy: a latent class approach linking early childhood adversity, intimate partner coercive control, and material hardship to adverse birth outcomes

Gia Elise Barboza-Salerno & Taylor Harrington

Published August 31, 2026 in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (Open Access)

Abstract

Acute antenatal stressful life events (SLEs) during pregnancy are well-established risk factors for adverse birth outcomes. However, little is known about how distinct constellations of antenatal SLEs, shaped by early adversity, material hardship, and intimate partner coercive control, combine to influence perinatal health.

Data were drawn from 5,280 participants in the Kansas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Using latent class analysis, five distinct stress profiles were identified:

Family Member Illness and Death (16.3%)
Multiple Overlapping Stressors (5.2%)
Financial Insecurity (11.2%)
Residential Instability and Family Conflict (8.7%)
Low Stress (58.6%)

Compared with the Low Stress class, individuals in all high-risk classes had significantly higher odds of reporting ACEs, IPV, material hardship, and cigarette use before pregnancy. The Multiple Overlapping Stressors class showed the greatest risk of low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm birth.

Key Takeaway

Tailoring perinatal interventions to specific SLE profiles, particularly for individuals with histories of ACEs and IPV, may reduce poor birth outcomes.

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Profiles of stressful life experiences in pregnancy: a latent class approach linking early childhood adversity, intimate partner coercive control, and material hardship to adverse birth outcomes

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

IPR Seminar Series: Accessibility to Abortion Services, Maternal Vulnerability, and Birth Outcomes

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Dr. Gia Barboza-Salerno will present at the Institute for Population Research (IPR) Seminar Series on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Presentation Details

Title: Accessibility to Abortion Services, Maternal Vulnerability, and Birth Outcomes

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Location: Townshend Hall, room 038, 1885 Neil Ave Mall and Zoom

Registration: Register for Zoom access

Abstract

Does spatial accessibility to abortion care intersect with maternal vulnerability to shape adverse birth outcomes? In the post-Dobbs landscape, access to abortion services has become increasingly uneven, with substantial geographic barriers emerging across large portions of the state. This study examines whether spatial constraints on abortion access align with community-level maternal vulnerability and how these structural conditions are associated with adverse birth outcomes.

The study uses a novel Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI), a validated, census-tract-level measure that captures multidimensional drivers of poor maternal health, including:

Healthcare access
Reproductive health resources
Physical and mental health
Environmental conditions
Socioeconomic disadvantage

Geographic information systems (GIS) and multimodal transportation network modeling are used to quantify travel burden, service deserts, and spatial accessibility to abortion. These spatial access measures are then linked to adverse birth outcomes (e.g., preterm birth), to assess whether communities facing greater abortion access constraints experience elevated perinatal risk.

By situating abortion accessibility within a comprehensive measure of maternal vulnerability, this study highlights how geographic and structural inequities in reproductive healthcare access may contribute to persistent disparities in maternal and infant health.