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Area-level socioeconomic deprivation, nitrogen dioxide exposure, and term birth weight in New York City
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Area-level socioeconomic deprivation, nitrogen dioxide exposure, and term birth weight in New York City

Jessie L.C. Shmool, Jennifer F. Bobb, Kazuhiko Ito, Beth Elston, David A. Savitz, Zev Ross, Thomas D. Matte, Sarah Johnson, Francesca Dominici and Jane E. Clougherty
Environmental research, v 142, pp 624-632
Oct 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2015.08.019
PMID: 26318257
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2015.08.019View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Nitrogen dioxide Socioeconomic deprivation Term birth weight
Numerous studies have linked air pollution with adverse birth outcomes, but relatively few have examined differential associations across the socioeconomic gradient. To evaluate interaction effects of gestational nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and area-level socioeconomic deprivation on fetal growth, we used: (1) highly spatially-resolved air pollution data from the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS); and (2) spatially-stratified principle component analysis of census variables previously associated with birth outcomes to define area-level deprivation. New York City (NYC) hospital birth records for years 2008–2010 were restricted to full-term, singleton births to non-smoking mothers (n=243,853). We used generalized additive mixed models to examine the potentially non-linear interaction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and deprivation categories on birth weight (and estimated linear associations, for comparison), adjusting for individual-level socio-demographic characteristics and sensitivity testing adjustment for co-pollutant exposures. Estimated NO2 exposures were highest, and most varying, among mothers residing in the most-affluent census tracts, and lowest among mothers residing in mid-range deprivation tracts. In non-linear models, we found an inverse association between NO2 and birth weight in the least-deprived and most-deprived areas (p-values<0.001 and 0.05, respectively) but no association in the mid-range of deprivation (p=0.8). Likewise, in linear models, a 10ppb increase in NO2 was associated with a decrease in birth weight among mothers in the least-deprived and most-deprived areas of −16.2g (95% CI: −21.9 to −10.5) and −11.0g (95% CI: −22.8 to 0.9), respectively, and a non-significant change in the mid-range areas [β=0.5g (95% CI: −7.7 to 8.7)]. Linear slopes in the most- and least-deprived quartiles differed from the mid-range (reference group) (p-values<0.001 and 0.09, respectively). The complex patterning in air pollution exposure and deprivation in NYC, however, precludes simple interpretation of interactive effects on birth weight, and highlights the importance of considering differential distributions of air pollution concentrations, and potential differences in susceptibility, across deprivation levels. •We examined prenatal NO2 exposure, socioeconomic context and term birth weight.•We observed highest air pollution levels in least-deprived areas of NYC.•NO2 was associated with lower birth weight in the least- and most-deprived areas.•Complex pattern of exposure complicates interpretation of interaction models.

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37 citations in Web of Science
41 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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