November 2001 - Study Examines Relationship Between Neighborhood Characteristics and Birthweight Among Five Ethnic Groups

Living in neighborhoods that are less socioeconomically advantaged may influence birthweight differently, depending on women's ethnicity and nativity, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The authors note that neighborhood-level characteristics may measure a dimension of socioeconomic conditions that may not be captured by individual-level measures such as income and education. The purpose of the study was to examine relationships between selected neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and birthweight among women in five ethnic groups: white, black, foreign-born Latinas, U.S.-born Latinas, and Asians.

The authors linked birth records to census block-group data for 22,304 women who delivered infants at 18 California hospitals during 1994-1995. Information on income and additional factors was obtained from a surveyed subset of 8,457 women. Neighborhood levels of poverty, unemployment, and education were examined.

The study indicates that the nature of the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and the birthweight of infants born to California residents varies greatly, depending on the ethnicity of the mother and the area-level characteristic considered. Findings include the following:

• Among white women and U.S.-born Latinas, the neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics examined generally were unrelated to birthweight.
• Among Asians and blacks, birthweight decreased with lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by higher unemployment levels.
• Paradoxically, among foreign-born Latinas, living in neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty and unemployment was associated with higher mean birthweights and lower risk of low birthweight.
• Adjustment for family income and other individual-level factors available for the surveyed subsample did not account for the observed associations between neighborhood SES and mean birthweight or risk of low birthweight.

The authors encourage researchers to consider ethnic groups separately when using neighborhood measures to adjust for socioeconomic influences. The consistency of neighborhood-level socioeconomic differences in birth outcomes in their findings suggests a small but real effect among certain ethnic groups that is not explained by several known risk factors. The authors conclude, "Searching for protective factors . . . may strengthen our understanding of the factors that determine birthweight and aid in the development of policies and interventions to improve birthweight and birth outcomes generally."

Pearl M, Braveman P, Abrams B. 2001. Relationship of neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics to birthweight among 5 ethnic groups in California. American Journal of Public Health 9111:1808-1814.

(Source: MCH Alert, 11/16/01)

 

---