Social Vulnerability and Perinatal Risk: Demographic Determinants of the Impact of a Natural Disaster on Pregnant Women.

OBJECTIVE

Despite growing research on disaster-related health impacts, pregnant individuals remain understudied. This study explores the sociodemographic characteristics of pregnant women affected by Hurricane Harvey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of 4,951 pregnant individuals (511 directly impacted) was conducted to identify predictors of disrupted healthcare, financial loss, and mental health outcomes.

RESULTS

Social and structural vulnerabilities significantly influenced disaster impact. Pregnant individuals who were foreign-born racial/ethnic minorities (16.7% non-Latinx Black, 10.2% Latinx vs. 8.3% non-Latinx White), low-income (13.0% vs. 8.0%), less educated (12.5% vs. 7.6%), reliant on public healthcare (81% vs. 33.5%), or with limited maternity care access (11.4% vs. 54.8%) were disproportionately affected (all p < 0.001). Conversely, post-disaster anxiety was more common among U.S.-born (14.8% vs. 8.0%), college-educated (19.0% vs. 9.8%), and higher-income individuals (21.2% vs. 7.9%) (all p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Disadvantaged pregnant populations face greater disruption during disasters, while those with fewer vulnerabilities may experience more prolonged anxiety.