Association Between Preterm Birth and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status
Poster #: 164
Session/Time: A
Author:
Alyssa Lee Wilkinson, BS
Mentor:
Tetsuya Kawakita, MD
Research Type: Public Health
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, is a common pregnancy complication and a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Mothers who deliver preterm may also face serious health complications. Previous studies have shown that racial disparities affect preterm birth rates, with Black individuals facing significantly higher odds of preterm birth than their white counterparts. While this disparity has been attributed to various social determinants of health, much regarding this difference is still not understood. In particular, neighborhood socioeconomic status, including food insecurity, neighborhood walkability, and housing instability, has not been investigated. This prospective case-control study examines how neighborhood socioeconomic status contributes to the risk of preterm birth, enhancing understanding of how patient environment impacts pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS:
Mothers who delivered live, singleton fetuses at twenty weeks or greater were considered eligible for the study. Study exclusion criteria included fetuses with known major anomalies or chromosomal abnormalities. The Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs (AHC HRSN) Screening Tool, which evaluates various unmet needs, was then administered to qualified and consenting individuals. Additional information was collected from patient charts to characterize each patient's neighborhood by area deprivation index, food access, walkability index, and maternal vulnerability index. PRELIMINARY
RESULTS:
A total of 280 patients were recruited for the study using a 1:3 case-control ratio. The mean maternal age of delivery was 29.5 years and mean BMI was 37.1 kg/m2. Participants predominantly identified as white (48.2%) and Black (46.8%), with a smaller proportion identifying as Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, or "other." The mean score for the HRSN Screening Tool was 2.30 ± 1.82 out of a maximum score of 13 for the preterm birth group; the mean score was 2.94 ± 1.99 for the term group. T-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in HRSN survey scores between groups, with a p-value of 0.013.
CONCLUSION:
Preliminary data from the HRSN Screening Tool suggest findings that contradict the initial hypothesis that mothers living in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk for preterm birth. However, data on potential confounding factors have not yet been analyzed and may account for these results.
Preterm birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, is a common pregnancy complication and a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Mothers who deliver preterm may also face serious health complications. Previous studies have shown that racial disparities affect preterm birth rates, with Black individuals facing significantly higher odds of preterm birth than their white counterparts. While this disparity has been attributed to various social determinants of health, much regarding this difference is still not understood. In particular, neighborhood socioeconomic status, including food insecurity, neighborhood walkability, and housing instability, has not been investigated. This prospective case-control study examines how neighborhood socioeconomic status contributes to the risk of preterm birth, enhancing understanding of how patient environment impacts pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS:
Mothers who delivered live, singleton fetuses at twenty weeks or greater were considered eligible for the study. Study exclusion criteria included fetuses with known major anomalies or chromosomal abnormalities. The Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs (AHC HRSN) Screening Tool, which evaluates various unmet needs, was then administered to qualified and consenting individuals. Additional information was collected from patient charts to characterize each patient's neighborhood by area deprivation index, food access, walkability index, and maternal vulnerability index. PRELIMINARY
RESULTS:
A total of 280 patients were recruited for the study using a 1:3 case-control ratio. The mean maternal age of delivery was 29.5 years and mean BMI was 37.1 kg/m2. Participants predominantly identified as white (48.2%) and Black (46.8%), with a smaller proportion identifying as Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, or "other." The mean score for the HRSN Screening Tool was 2.30 ± 1.82 out of a maximum score of 13 for the preterm birth group; the mean score was 2.94 ± 1.99 for the term group. T-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in HRSN survey scores between groups, with a p-value of 0.013.
CONCLUSION:
Preliminary data from the HRSN Screening Tool suggest findings that contradict the initial hypothesis that mothers living in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk for preterm birth. However, data on potential confounding factors have not yet been analyzed and may account for these results.