Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Age: Exploring Intersections in Preterm Birth Disparities among Teen Mothers
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Robert E. Aronson, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Shelly L Brown-Jeffy, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Sharon D. Morrison, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Tracy R. Nichols, Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator (Creator)
- Kelly L. Rulison, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Few studies have examined disparities in adverse birth outcomes and compared contributingsocioeconomic factors specifically between African-American and White teen mothers. Thisstudy examined intersections between neighborhood socioeconomic status (as defined by censustractmedian household income), maternal age, and racial disparities in preterm birth (PTB)outcomes between African-American and White teen mothers in North Carolina. Using a linkeddataset with state birth record data and socioeconomic information from the 2010 US Census,disparities in preterm birth outcomes for 16,472 teen mothers were examined through bivariateand multilevel analyses. African-American teens had significantly greater odds of PTB outcomesthan White teens (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.21, 1.56). Racial disparities in PTB rates significantlyvaried by neighborhood income; PTB rates were 2.1 times higher for African-American teens inhigher income neighborhoods compared to White teens in similar neighborhoods. Disparities inPTB did not vary significantly between teens younger than age 17 and teens ages 17–19,although the magnitude of racial disparities was larger between younger African-American andWhite teens. These results justify further investigations using intersectional frameworks to testthe effects of racial status, neighborhood socioeconomic factors, and maternal age on birthoutcome disparities among infants born to teen mothers.
Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Age: Exploring Intersections in Preterm Birth Disparities among Teen Mothers
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Created on 6/7/2016
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Additional Information
- Publication
- International Journal of Population Research
- Language: English
- Date: 2015
- Keywords
- teen mothers, socioeconomic status, racial disparities