The Impact of Health Insurance on Low Birth-Weight Infants and Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Objectives: To determine the impact of having private health insurance during the period of maternity on low birth-weight (LBW) infants.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, between January 2020 and January 2021. Using non-probability sampling, secondary medical data were obtained at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology from two groups: insured and non-insured mothers who had 150 LBW infants (LBWI) (<2.5 kg) as well as normal newborns. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A univariate analysis was performed for each variable followed by a logistic regression analysis to explain the relationship between the dependent (LBW) and independent variables (health insurance status, prenatal care, and inter-pregnancy interval).

Results: Out of 300 mothers, the majority were in the age group 21-34 years (86%). The LBWI mothers were insured in about 55% of cases. Around 43% had insurance for 1-2 years, and 44.7% of insured mothers were covered by a "class A" health plan. The findings revealed a significant correlation between the duration of maternal insurance coverage period and LBW; it reduced the risk of LBW by 95% CI. The inter-pregnancy interval was 51.3%, with a p-value of 0.33.

Conclusion: Private health insurance offers coverage, stability, and consistency in Saudi Arabia, which results in better birth outcomes by decreasing both infant mortality and morbidity rates among insured females.