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2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership ConferenceReasons for perceived discrimination among new mothers: 2005 Los Angeles Mommyand Baby (LAMB) surveyPRIMARY CONTACT:Shin Margaret Chao, MPH, PhDSenior Staff AnalystLos Angeles Public Health - Maternal,Child, and Adolescent Health Programs600 South Commonwealth Av #800Los Angeles, CA, 90005Phone: (213) 639-6470Fax: (213) 637-8275Email: schao@ph.lacounty.govCATEGORYRacial and ethnic health disparitiesFOCUSData FocusBACKGROUNDCO-PRESENTER(S)/AUTHOR(S):Chandra Higgins, chiggins@ph.lacounty.gov(Author)Cathleen Bemis, cbemis@ph.lacounty.gov(Author)Diana Ramos, dramos@ph.lacounty.gov(Author)Cindy Harding, charding@ph.lacounty.gov(Author)Perceived discrimination has been linked to the health of new mothers. However studies addressing thereasons for their perceived discrimination are lacking.OBJECTIVESTo investigate racial disparities in the reasons women report feeling discrimination.METHODSWe used data from the 2005 LAMB Survey. LAMB is a biennial, population-based survey modeled afterthe Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Perceived discrimination was measured usingKrieger’s seven-item discrimination scale. We performed multivariate logistic regressions to evaluate theracial disparities in the reasons new mothers felt they suffered discrimination while controlling formaternal characteristics. Variables included in the multivariate models included mother’s race, years inthe US, mother’s education, mother’s age and marital status.RESULTSThe data presented are from the 2005 LAMB survey (N=5,211) and responses are weighted to representall Los Angeles County births in 2005. Overall 42% of African American and 41% of Asian Americanwomen reported some form of discrimination. In the multivariate logistic regression, when looking atspecific forms of discrimination, we found that all women reported similar rates of discrimination due tobeing pregnant. White women reported more discrimination due to gender than other women (aOR 1.75,p