In Data News, 2013-06-24
Indicator data has been changed due to a discrepancy between the way in which ZIP code and county-level prenatal care data is reported from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
For this indicator, service area summaries are based on ZIP code-level birth statistics. ZIP code level data on prenatal care are acquired from the CDPH 2010 Birth Profiles by ZIP Code databases, which report the number of mothers receiving prenatal care by trimester. Late or no prenatal care was previously reported as “mothers receiving care after the first trimester, or not at all”. County and state level summaries were, however, based on the CDPH Birth Statistical Data Tables (County Data) and Birth Statistical Data Tables (Statewide Data) tables. These tables were used to better capture true county estimates, since ZIP codes do not necessarily correspond to county boundaries. These tables only report one category of prenatal care: “Late or No Prenatal Care”. According to the footnotes, this category only captures mothers beginning prenatal care in the third trimester, or not at all.
To align the ZIP-based service area summaries with the county and state level summaries, prenatal care data is now reported for all geographic levels as mothers beginning prenatal care in the third trimester, or not at all.