An Online Geographic Data Visualization Tool to Relate Preterm Births to Environmental Factors

The Geographical Correlation Between Historical Preterm Birth Disparities and COVID-19 Burden

Similar to obstetric outcomes, rates of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection are not homogeneously distributed among populations; risk factors accumulate in discrete locations. This study aimed to investigate the geographical correlation between pre-COVID-19 regional preterm birth (PTB) disparities and subsequent COVID-19 disease burden. We performed a retrospective, ecological cohort study of an upstate New York birth certificate database from 2004 to 2018, merged with publicly available community resource data. COVID-19 rates from 2020 were used to allocate ZIP codes to "low-," "moderate-," and "high-prevalence" groups, defined by median COVID-19 diagnosis rates. COVID-19 cohorts were associated with poverty and educational attainment data from the US Census Bureau. The dataset was analyzed for the primary outcome of PTB using ANOVA. GIS mapping visualized PTB rates and COVID-19 disease rates by ZIP code. Within 38 ZIP codes, 123,909 births were included. The median COVID-19 infection rate was 616.5 (per 100 K). PTB (all) and COVID-19 were positively correlated, with high- prevalence COVID-19 ZIP codes also being the areas with the highest prevalence of PTB (F = 11.06, P = .0002); significance was also reached for PTB < 28 weeks (F = 15.87, P < .0001) and periviable birth (F = 16.28, P < .0001). Odds of PTB < 28 weeks were significantly higher in the "high-prevalence" COVID-19 cohort compared to the "low-prevalence" COVID 19 cohort (OR 3.27 (95% CI 2.42-4.42)). COVID-19 prevalence was directly associated with number of individuals below poverty level and indirectly associated with median household income and educational attainment. GIS mapping demonstrated ZIP code clustering in the urban center with the highest rates of PTB < 28 weeks overlapping with high COVID-19 disease burden. Historical disparities in social determinants of health, exemplified by PTB outcomes, map community distribution of COVID-19 disease burden. These data should inspire socioeconomic policies supporting economic vibrancy to promote optimal health outcomes across all communities.

Protective Places: the Relationship between Neighborhood Quality and Preterm Births to Black Women in Oakland, California (2007-2011)

Black women have the highest incidence of preterm birth (PTB). Upstream factors, including neighborhood context, may be key drivers of this increased risk. This study assessed the relationship between neighborhood quality, defined by the Healthy Places Index, and PTB among Black women who lived in Oakland, California, and gave birth between 2007 and 2011 (N = 5418 women, N = 107 census tracts). We found that, compared with those living in lower quality neighborhoods, women living in higher quality neighborhoods had 20-38% lower risk of PTB, independent of confounders. Findings have implications for place-based research and interventions to address racial inequities in PTB.

Environmental Exposures during Puberty: Window of Breast Cancer Risk and Epigenetic Damage

During puberty, a woman’s breasts are vulnerable to environmental damage (“window of vulnerability”). Early exposure to environmental carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and unhealthy foods (refined sugar, processed fats, food additives) are hypothesized to promote molecular damage that increases breast cancer risk. However, prospective human studies are difficult to perform and effective interventions to prevent these early exposures are lacking. It is difficult to prevent environmental exposures during puberty. Specifically, young women are repeatedly exposed to media messaging that promotes unhealthy foods. Young women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience additional challenges including a lack of access to healthy food and exposure to contaminated air, water, and soil. The purpose of this review is to gather information on potential exposures during puberty. In future directions, this information will be used to help elementary/middle-school girls to identify and quantitate environmental exposures and develop cost-effective strategies to reduce exposures.