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Violent crime exposure classification and adverse birth outcomes: a geographically-defined cohort study
Lynne C Messer1, Jay S Kaufman, Nancy Dole
1US Environmental Protection Agency/National Human Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Human Studies Division, MD 58A, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA. lmesser@email.unc.edu
International Journal of Health Geographics
|May 19, 2006
Summary
Neighborhood violent crime, when viewed as an area attribute, is linked to adverse birth outcomes like preterm birth and low birth weight. Proximal crime exposures did not show a significant association with birth outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Environmental Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Socioeconomic disparities are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
- Neighborhood crime is an understudied factor in reproductive health.
- Varied definitions of crime in research limit comparability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relevance of different spatial violent crime exposures for adverse birth events.
- To compare proximal and area-level crime categorizations in association with birth outcomes.
- To investigate the impact of violent crime on birth outcomes in Raleigh, NC.
Main Methods:
- Utilized geocoded linked birth records, crime, and census data.
- Employed multilevel models to analyze four spatial violent crime exposures.
- Adjusted for maternal age, education, and area-level deprivation.
Main Results:
- Proximal crime exposures were not associated with adverse birth outcomes.
- Area-level violent crime was positively associated with preterm birth and low birth weight in non-Hispanic white and black women.
- No significant interaction was found between area deprivation and crime category.
Conclusions:
- Crime's definition and categorization significantly impact study associations with health outcomes.
- Area-level violent crime, treated as a neighborhood attribute, shows implications for adverse birth outcomes.
- This study is the first to directly compare multiple crime categorizations against health outcomes.
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