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Am J Perinatol 2024; 41(S 01): e3363-e3366
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777441
Short Communication

The Association between Mode of Transportation Support and Research Study Visit Attendance among Pregnant Patients

Ariel Vinson
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
2   Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
,
Rachel Paul 
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
,
Jessica Chubiz
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
,
Nandini Raghuraman
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
,
Jeannie C. Kelly
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
,
Sarah K. England
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
,
Ebony B. Carter
3   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University of North at Chapel Hill
› Author Affiliations
Funding This study was funded by the March of Dimes Foundation and the WUSM-Lilly Diversity Partnership Grant for the WUSM-Meharry Summer Research Program. E.B.C. is funded by the American Diabetes Association Pathway to Stop Diabetes Award (1-19-ACE-02), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant #74250, NIH/NICHD K23 grant (K23HD095075-03), and the Diabetes Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine (NIH/NIDDK P30DK020579). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the American Diabetes Association or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine the association between transportation assistance and study visits, and explore differences by transportation modality.

Study Design This was a secondary analysis of prospective cohort study. We identified patients requesting transportation support for research ultrasound visits and identified controls (1:2 ratio) who did not request support matched for age, race, and insurance type. Conditional logistic regression examined the association between transportation support and mode of transportation with study visit attendance.

Results Transportation support was requested by 57/1,184 (4.8%) participants. Participants that requested transportation support were three times more likely to attend visits than their matched controls (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76–5.68). Among visits with transportation support, those supported by a ridesharing service had five-fold higher odds of attendance than visits supported with taxi service (aOR = 5.06, 95% CI: 1.50–16.98).

Conclusion Transportation support, especially a ridesharing service, is associated with improved attendance at research study visits in a sample of predominantly low-income, Black, pregnant participants. Implementing transportation support may be a promising strategy to improve engagement in research studies.

Key Points

  • Participants utilizing transportation assistance were more likely to attend study appointments.

  • Participants using ridesharing had higher likelihood of attendance than those using taxi service.

  • Transportation assistance may improve research engagement for historically marginalized people.

Keywords

ridesharing - transportation assistance - research engagement - pregnant


Publication History

Received: 21 July 2023

Accepted: 09 November 2023

Article published online:
15 December 2023

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