Hispanic concentration and the conditional influence of collective efficacy on adolescent childbearing.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how Hispanic residential concentration moderates the relationship between neighborhood collective efficacy and teenage birth rates.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of census tract level survey data and birth records.


METHODS
Sixty-five Los Angeles (California) County census tracts in 2000 and 2001.


METHODS
Measures of neighborhood collective efficacy from 2600 adults from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study (LAFANS) survey were linked with demographic information from the US 2000 Census and Los Angeles County birth records for 10- through 19-year-old mothers.


METHODS
Collective efficacy and Hispanic residential concentration.


METHODS
Married and unmarried teenage birth rates.


RESULTS
In census tracts with less than a 50% Hispanic population, a 1-SD increase in collective efficacy was associated with a 5.07 births per 1000 decrease in the unmarried teenage birth rate (P<.05). In census tracts with a 50% or greater Hispanic population, a 1-SD increase in collective efficacy was not statistically related to unmarried rates, but it was associated with a 3.43 increase in the married teenage birth rate (P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Collective efficacy may help reduce adolescent childbearing in some, but not all, neighborhoods. An interaction between collective efficacy and Hispanic population concentration suggests cultural variation may play a role in how collective efficacy influences adolescent fertility. Possible explanations for the positive relationship between collective efficacy and married birth rates found in segregated Hispanic neighborhoods include profertility orientations and availability of childrearing networks for young parents. To help harness social capital to improve public health outcome, we suggest future studies examine the role of community cultural variation.
Way
Sandra
S
Department of Sociology/Anthropology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA. sway@nmsu.edu
Finch
Brian K
BK
Cohen
Deborah
D
D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D015141:Los Angeles; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics