Association of Mothers' Perception of Neighborhood Quality and Maternal Resilience with Risk of Preterm Birth.
We examined the associations of mothers' perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience with risk of preterm birth and whether maternal resilience moderated the effect of neighborhood quality perception. We analyzed data from 10,758 women with singleton births who participated in 2010-2012 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby surveys. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed the effects of mothers' perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience on preterm birth (yes/no), controlling for potential confounders and economic hardship index, a city-level measure of neighborhood quality. Interaction terms were assessed for moderation. Mothers' perception of neighborhood quality and maternal resilience were each uniquely associated with preterm birth, independent of potential confounders (p-values < 0.05). The risk of preterm birth among mothers who perceived their neighborhood as of poor quality was about 30% greater compared to mothers who perceived their neighborhood as of good quality; the risk was 12% greater among mothers with low resilience compared to those with high resilience. Effects of neighborhood quality were not modified by maternal resilience. The findings suggest that mothers' perception of neighborhood quality and resilience are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Further research should explore whether initiatives aimed at improving neighborhood quality and women's self-esteem may improve birth outcomes.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. namratab05@gmail.com.
Namrata
N
Bhatia
Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Programs, Los Angeles, CA, USA. schao@ph.lacounty.gov.
Shin Margaret
SM
Chao
Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Programs, Los Angeles, CA, USA. chiggins@ph.lacounty.gov.
Chandra
C
Higgins
Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Programs, Los Angeles, CA, USA. supatel@ph.lacounty.gov.
Suvas
S
Patel
Department of Biostatistics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 94158, USA. ccrespi@g.ucla.edu.
Catherine M
CM
Crespi
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D055500:Resilience, Psychological
maternal resilience; neighborhood quality; preterm births