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Women’s Lifelong Exposure to Neighborhood Poverty and Low Birth Weight: A Population-Based Study

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Abstract

Objective To determine whether women’s lifelong residential environment is associated with infant low birth weight. Methods We performed race-specific stratified and multivariate binomial regression analyses on an Illinois vital record dataset of non-Latino White and African-American infants (1989–1991) and their mothers (1956–1975) with appended United States census income information. Results Non-Latino White women (N = 267) with a lifelong residence in low-income neighborhoods had a low birth weight (<2,500 g) incidence of 10.1% vs. 5.1% for White women (N = 10,647) with a lifelong residence in high-income neighborhoods; RR = 2.0 (1.4–2.9). African-American women (N = 18,297) with a lifelong residence in low-income neighborhoods had a low birth weight incidence of 17% vs. 11.7% for African-American women (N = 546) with a lifelong residence in high-income areas; RR = 1.5 (1.2–1.8). The adjusted population attributable risk (PAR) percent of LBW for lifelong residence in low-income neighborhoods was 1.6% for non-Latino White and 23.6% for African-American women. Conclusions Non-Latino White and African-American women’s lifelong residence in low-income neighborhoods is a risk factor for LBW; however, African-Americans experience a greater public health burden from this phenomenon.

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Acknowledgement

This study was funded by grants from the March of Dimes (12-FY04-45) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (TS-356-15/15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, Children’s Memorial Hospital, 2300 Children’s Plaza, #45, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA

    James W. Collins Jr.

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    James W. Collins Jr. & Jennifer Wambach

  3. Department of Pediatrics, John Stroger Hospital of Cook County, University of Illinois Medical School, Chicago, IL, USA

    Richard J. David

  4. University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA

    Kristin M. Rankin

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  1. James W. Collins Jr.
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  2. Jennifer Wambach
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Correspondence to James W. Collins Jr..

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Collins , J.W., Wambach, J., David, R.J. et al. Women’s Lifelong Exposure to Neighborhood Poverty and Low Birth Weight: A Population-Based Study. Matern Child Health J 13, 326–333 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-008-0354-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-008-0354-0

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