Roberts EM. Neighborhood social environments and the distribution of low birthweight in Chicago. American Journal of Public Health. 1997; 87:597-603.
This study looked at low birthweight (LBW) by census tract in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1990. The authors found that community economic hardship and housing costs were related to residents' higher likelihood of having LBW babies. In contrast, higher community socioeconomic status, higher levels of crowded housing, and higher percentages of young and African American residents were associated with reduced likelihood of LBW. One surprising finding was that being African American was associated with a lower risk of LBW. Further analysis of data by race suggested that the risk of LBW for African Americans was lowest in predominantly African American neighborhoods. The authors point to research documenting strong social networks in these communities that might explain this protective effect.
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