Neighborhood Deprivation and Racial Disparities in Early Pregnancy Impaired Glucose Tolerance

There is mounting evidence that neighborhoods contribute to perinatal health inequity. We aimed (1) to determine whether neighborhood deprivation (a composite marker of area-level poverty, education, and housing) is associated with early pregnancy impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) and pre-pregnancy obesity and (2) to quantify the extent to which neighborhood deprivation may explain racial disparities in IGT and obesity.

This was a retrospective cohort study of non-diabetic patients with singleton births ≥ 20 weeks' gestation from 1 January 2017-31 December 2019 in two Philadelphia hospitals. The primary outcome was IGT (HbA1c 5.7-6.4%) at <20 weeks' gestation. Addresses were geocoded and census tract neighborhood deprivation index (range 0-1, higher indicating more deprivation) was calculated. Mixed-effects logistic regression and causal mediation models adjusted for covariates were used.

Of the 10,642 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 49% self-identified as Black, 49% were Medicaid insured, 32% were obese, and 11% had IGT. There were large racial disparities in IGT (16% vs. 3%) and obesity (45% vs. 16%) among Black vs. White patients, respectively (p < 0.0001). Mean (SD) neighborhood deprivation was higher among Black (0.55 (0.10)) compared with White patients (0.36 (0.11)) (p < 0.0001). Neighborhood deprivation was associated with IGT and obesity in models adjusted for age, insurance, parity, and race (aOR 1.15, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.24 and aOR 1.39, 95%CI: 1.28, 1.52, respectively). Mediation analysis revealed that 6.7% (95%CI: 1.6%, 11.7%) of the Black-White disparity in IGT might be explained by neighborhood deprivation and 13.3% (95%CI: 10.7%, 16.7%) by obesity. Mediation analysis also suggested that 17.4% (95%CI: 12.0%, 22.4%) of the Black-White disparity in obesity may be explained by neighborhood deprivation.

Neighborhood deprivation may contribute to early pregnancy IGT and obesity-surrogate markers of periconceptional metabolic health in which there are large racial disparities. Investing in neighborhoods where Black patients live may improve perinatal health equity.