Severe obstetric morbidity amongst women from different socioeconomic groups in Victoria

Summary

Despite efforts in Australia to improve maternity care services and identify women at high risk of adverse outcomes, there remains inadequate research into the risks of severe obstetric morbidity associated with social disadvantage. Whether there are differences in the risk of severe obstetric morbidity between women from different socioeconomic groups, and why these differences exist in countries where healthcare is universal is yet to be fully explored. Further research is needed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and severe maternal morbidity in Australia, and to explore the obstacles that exist in ensuring optimal management of maternal health amongst women from different socioeconomic groups. This research project used data from the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection database to analyse the risk of severe obstetric morbidity associated with social disadvantage amongst women in Victoria.