2018 PREMATURE BIRTH REPORT CARD
News Release from March of Dimes, November, 2018
Premature birth and its complications are the largest contributors to infant death in the U.S., and a major cause of long-term health problems in children who survive. March of Dimes aims to reduce preterm birth rates and increase equity, and monitors progress through Premature Birth Report Cards. Report Card grades are assigned by comparing the 2017 preterm birth rate in a state or locality to March of Dimes’ goal of 8.1 percent by 2020. Report Cards provide county and race/ethnicity data to highlight the importance of addressing equity in areas and populations with elevated risk of prematurity. March of Dimes is working to expand solutions to help all mothers and babies have healthy, full-term births.
HAWAII
- PRETERM BIRTH RATE -- 10.4%
- GRADE -- D
Counties with the greatest number of births are graded based on their 2016 preterm birth rates.
| COUNTY |
GRADE |
PRETERM BIRTH RATE |
CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR |
| Hawaii |
D |
10.9% |
Improved |
| Honolulu |
D |
10.6% |
Worsened |
| Kauai |
C |
9.4% |
Improved |
| Maui |
C |
10.1% |
Worsened |
RACE & ETHNICITY
The March of Dimes disparity ratio measures and tracks progress towards the elimination of racial/ethnic disparities in preterm birth. It is based on Healthy People 2020 methodology and compares the group with the lowest preterm birth rate to the average for all other groups. Progress is evaluated by comparing the current disparity ratio to a baseline disparity ratio. A lower disparity ratio is better, with a disparity ratio of 1 indicating no disparity.
Percentage of Live Births (2014-2016) that are Pre-Term:
- White – 7.9%
- Hispanic – 10.4%
- Asian/ Pacific Islander – 11.1%
- Black – 13.6%
In Hawaii, the preterm birth rate among black women is 35% higher than the rate among all other women.
LINK: GO TO PERISTATS TO VIEW ADDITIONAL HAWAII DATA
read … Full Report
HNN: March of Dimes gives Hawaii’s record on premature births a near-failing grade
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