Pregnancy health and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islander women in
the United States and U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands: a scoping review
Abstract
Background: This scoping review examines the existing literature on
pregnancy and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islander women in the
United States (U.S.) and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. Objective:
Specifically, we aimed to identify research that disaggregated Pacific
Islanders from any other population group. Search Strategy: We conducted
a systematic search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO),
and PsycINFO (Ovid) electronic databases, and hand searched grey
literature. Data collection and analysis: We extracted and synthesized
data on the study characteristics and pregnancy and perinatal health
outcomes. Main results: Forty-eight articles published between January
2010 and June 2020 were included in the review. The majority of studies
utilized clinical record data were conducted in Hawaii. Infant outcomes
(preterm birth, birth weight) were more commonly reported than maternal
outcomes related to either pregnancy health or the perinatal period. Our
findings highlight several limitations of the existing literature,
including continued aggregation of Pacific Islanders with Asian
Americans and other ethnic groups, little comparison between Pacific
Islander sub-groups, lack of definition of the nationality/ethnic
composition of Pacific Islander groups, a lack of hypothesis-driven
primary data collection and clinical trials, and underrepresentation in
population-based studies. Conclusion: Researchers and policymakers
should aim to address these limitations to better understand pregnancy
and perinatal outcomes among Pacific Islanders.