Abstract
To determine whether women's lifelong residential environment is associated with infant low birth weight. 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. 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. 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. to determine whether women's lifelong residential environment is associated with infant low birth weight. 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. 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. 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.>
