Regional Disparities in Access to Prenatal Care in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Public Health Data

Authors

  • Giuliana Facco Machado Medical Student, FACERES – Faculty of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto

Keywords:

Prenatal Care, Access to healthcare, Health Care Disparities, Maternal Health, Brazil

Abstract

Background:
Adequate prenatal care is essential for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. In Brazil, significant progress has been made in prenatal care coverage and quality; however, disparities persist. Previous studies indicate that access to comprehensive prenatal care is uneven, with inequalities related to socioeconomic status, race, and geographic location. Despite universal health coverage through the Sistema Único de Saúde, access to adequate prenatal services remains a challenge. Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using publicly available data from DATASUS to analyse prenatal consultations across Brazil’s geographic regions from 2022 to 2024. Adequate prenatal care was defined as seven or more visits. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed, and regional differences were assessed using the chi-square test. Results:
A total of 7,347,562 live births were analysed. Overall, 78.4% of women attended seven or more prenatal visits. Regional disparities were evident: the North had the lowest proportion (~64%), followed by the Northeast (~76%), while the Southeast (~82%) and South (~85%) had higher proportions. The Centre-West showed intermediate values (~77%). Differences were statistically significant (χ² = 161,184; p < 0.001). Conclusion:
Despite improvements in prenatal care coverage, significant regional inequalities persist in Brazil. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies and improved resource allocation to ensure equitable access to quality prenatal care.

References

Rocha NM, Almeida WDS, Souza Júnior PRB, Szwarcwald CL. Prenatal care: a temporal analysis using data from the 2013 and 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey. Cad Saude Publica. 2024.

Tomasi E, Assis TM, Muller PG, et al. Evolution of the quality of prenatal care in the primary network of Brazil from 2012 to 2018: what can (and should) improve? PLoS One. 2022.

Cesar JA, Black RE, Buffarini R. Antenatal care in Southern Brazil: coverage, trends and inequalities. Prev Med. 2021.

Miller S, Abalos E, Chamillard M, et al. Beyond too little, too late and too much, too soon: a pathway towards evidence-based, respectful maternity care worldwide. Lancet. 2016.

Tomasi E, Fernandes PA, Fischer T, et al. Quality of prenatal services in primary healthcare in Brazil: indicators and social inequalities. Cad Saude Publica. 2017.

Silva AD, Guida JPS, Santos DS, Santiago SM, Surita FG. Racial disparities and maternal mortality in Brazil: findings from a national database. Rev Saude Publica. 2023.

Santos GGD, Njoku A, Mafetoni RR, et al. Maternal mortality among Black women in Brazil: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2026.

Morón-Duarte LS, Varela AR, Bertoldi AD, et al. Quality of antenatal care and its sociodemographic determinants: results of the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021.

Costa IB, Pimenta IDSF, Aiquoc KM, Oliveira ÂGRDC. Congenital syphilis, syphilis in pregnancy and prenatal care in Brazil: an ecological study. PLoS One. 2023.

Andrade L, Kozhumam AS, Rocha TAH, et al. Impact of socioeconomic factors and health determinants on preterm birth in Brazil: a register-based study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022.

Victor A, Nhancololo AM, Bah HAF, et al. National and regional temporal trends and forecasting of preterm birth in Brazil (2014–2023) with projections to 2030. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2025.

Rodrigues CB, Thomaz EBAF, Batista RFL, et al. Prenatal care and human rights: addressing the gap between medical and legal frameworks and the experience of women in Brazil. PLoS One. 2021.

Orellana J, Jacques N, Leventhal DGP, Marrero L, Morón-Duarte LS. Excess maternal mortality in Brazil: regional inequalities during the COVID-19 epidemic. PLoS One. 2022.

Siqueira GL, Oliveira Fontes GR, Silva AG, et al. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mortality and sustainable development goals in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2025.

Victora CG, Aquino EM, Leal MC, et al. Maternal and child health in Brazil: progress and challenges. Lancet. 2011.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-18

How to Cite

Facco Machado, G. (2026). Regional Disparities in Access to Prenatal Care in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Public Health Data. International Journal of Medical Students. Retrieved from https://ijms.pitt.edu/IJMS/article/view/4513

Issue

Forthcoming

Section

Abstracts of the WCMSR

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Giuliana Facco Machado

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site; with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
    2. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
    3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
    4. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
    5. The Author represents and warrants that:
      1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
      2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
      3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
      4. the Work has not previously been published;
      5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
      6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
    6. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from the Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Enforcement of copyright

The IJMS takes the protection of copyright very seriously.

If the IJMS discovers that you have used its copyright materials in contravention of the license above, the IJMS may bring legal proceedings against you seeking reparation and an injunction to stop you using those materials. You could also be ordered to pay legal costs.

If you become aware of any use of the IJMS' copyright materials that contravenes or may contravene the license above, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org

 

Infringing material

If you become aware of any material on the website that you believe infringes your or any other person's copyright, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org