Spaces of Segregation and Health: Complex Associations for Black Immigrant and US-Born Mothers in New York City

Download as .RIS

Citation

Planey, Arrianna Marie; Grady, Sue C.; Fetaw, Ruth; & McLafferty, Sara L. (2022). Spaces of Segregation and Health: Complex Associations for Black Immigrant and US-Born Mothers in New York City. Journal of Urban Health, 99(3), 469-481. PMCID: PMC9187803

Abstract

Black immigrants are a growing proportion of the Black population in the USA, and despite the fact that they now comprise nearly a quarter of Black urban residents, few studies address the relationships between racial segregation and maternal and birth outcomes among Black immigrants. In this study of birth outcomes among US-born and immigrant Black mothers in New York City between 2010 and 2014, we applied multilevel models, assessing the association between segregation (measured through a novel kernel-based measure of local segregation) and adverse birth outcomes (preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW; < 2500 g)) among African-born, Caribbean-born, and US-born Black mothers. We found that African-born and Caribbean/Latin American-born Black mothers had a significantly lower incidence of PTB compared with US-born Black mothers (7.0 and 10.1, respectively, compared with 11.2 for US-born mothers). We also found disparities in the incidence of infant LBW by nativity, with the highest incidence among infants born to US-born mothers (10.9), compared with African-born (6.9) and Caribbean-born mothers (9.0). After adjusting for maternal (maternal age; higher rates of reported drug use and smoking) and contextual characteristics (neighborhood SES; green space access), we found that maternal residence in an area with high Black segregation increases the likelihood of PTB and LBW among US-born and Caribbean-born Black mothers. In contrast, the association between segregation and birth outcomes was insignificant for African-born mothers. Associations between tract-level socioeconomic disadvantage and birth outcomes also varied across groups, with only US-born Black mothers showing the expected positive association with risk of PTB and LBW.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11524-022-00634-6

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2022

Journal Title

Journal of Urban Health

Author(s)

Planey, Arrianna Marie
Grady, Sue C.
Fetaw, Ruth
McLafferty, Sara L.

Article Type

Regular

PMCID

PMC9187803

Data Set/Study

New York City Health Department, Bureau of Vital Statistics

Continent/Country

United States

State

New York

Race/Ethnicity

African Ancestry
Caribbean Black
Black

ORCiD

Planey - 0000-0003-4739-090X