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Published on: January 12, 2018

Association between census-tract Social Vulnerability Index and preterm birth rates

Jocelyn V Burridge1, Rebecca J Baer1, Christina D Chambers1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, San Diego School of Medicine University of California La Jolla California USA.

Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.)
|August 14, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Higher Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores are linked to increased preterm birth (PTB) risk. This highlights SVI

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Sociomedical Sciences

Background:

  • Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of infant mortality and morbidity.
  • Sociodemographic factors significantly influence PTB risk, particularly in marginalized populations.
  • The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) quantifies these factors, offering a tool for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between census-tract level SVI and PTB risk.
  • To examine the relationship between individual SVI themes and PTB and very PTB.
  • To inform the development of interventions for high-risk populations.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study using California birth data (2018-2021).
  • Linked hospital and birth certificate records with 2020 census tract data and CDC SVI.
  • Used mixed-effect logistic regression, adjusting for confounders and spatial dependencies.

Main Results:

  • A significant association was found between higher SVI quintiles and increased PTB risk.
  • The highest PTB risk was observed in the Very High SVI quintile (aOR 1.34).
  • Increased risks for very PTB and individual SVI themes were also identified.

Conclusions:

  • Higher SVI at the census-tract level is significantly associated with increased PTB.
  • SVI and its themes can serve as valuable tools for PTB risk assessment.
  • Findings support targeted interventions in high-SVI areas to reduce PTB disparities.
Abstract

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