Eighth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Disparities in low birth weight (LBW) deliveries have long persisted. Efforts to understand and improve LBW outcomes have largely focused on individual-level maternal risk factors but have failed to account for all of the variation in birthweight. With many areas in the United States exhibiting geographic separation of blacks and whites and a disproportionately large percentage of black women residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods, it is increasingly important to examine determinants factors at the neighborhood level to target interventions and reduce disparities in LBW births. The purpose of this study is to spatially map and examine the varying relationship between the distribution of low birth weight deliveries and neighborhood factors in Delaware. The prevalence of low birth weight infants will be calculated for all census tracts in Delaware using birth certificate data from 2011-2015. Census tract level neighborhood data will be obtained from the American Community Survey. We will conduct Hotspot analysis to identify statistically significant spatial clusters of high rates of LBW deliveries at the census tract level. LBW deliveries will be modeled using global Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) linear regression looking at neighborhood indices such as education, affordability, household income diversity, racial residential diversity. Additional population characteristics, including percent black, unemployed, living below poverty, receiving public assistance, female headed household, and under age 18, will also be included.