Minimum Wage Policies and Obstetric Disorders in the U.S.

INTRODUCTION

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a major public health problem in the U.S., particularly given higher rates among disadvantaged communities. This study examined the impact of minimum wage policies on hypertensive and other obstetric disorders in a population-based setting.

METHODS

This analysis used U.S. national, state-level data from the 1992-2019 Global Burden of Disease study to estimate the associations between changes in state-level minimum wages and the incidence of maternal hypertensive and other obstetric disorders. Generalized difference-in-differences models were implemented. Analysis was performed in January-July 2025.

RESULTS

The mean incidence of maternal hypertensive disorders was 410 cases per 100,000 women. In fully adjusted models, a $1 or greater increase in the minimum wage was associated with a reduction in the incidence of maternal hypertensive disorders of 64.1 per 100,000 women (95% CI= -108.6, -19.7) over 5 years. Results were consistent across a variety of estimation strategies, including 2-way fixed effects and alternative approaches designed to account for staggered policy implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that minimum wage policies may play a role in reducing maternal hypertensive disorders. Further research is needed using individual-level data to explore effect heterogeneity and examine subgroup impacts, especially by race and ethnicity.