The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Low Birthweight Across US Counties and Related Racial Disparities.

IF 3.2 3区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI:10.1007/s40615-025-02325-9

Marissa A Beldon, Shondra L Clay, M Courtney Hughes, Kathryn Mazurek

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Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship between low birthweight (LBW) and food insecurity across US counties and determine whether this relationship differs between Black and White women.

Methods: LBW data was derived from the 2013-2019 National Center for Health Statistics and National Vital Statistics System Birth Files. Food insecurity data was derived from Feeding America's 2013-2019 Map the Meal Gap project. Analyses included descriptive statistics and regression models.

Results: Data were available for 3037 US counties. Food insecurity significantly predicted county-level LBW (t(3035) = 44.48, P < .001) and explained 39.46% of the variance in LBW (F(13,035) = 1978.03, P < .001, R = .63). Food insecurity predicted LBW for both Black (t(1418) = 17.39, P < .001) and White women (t(1918) = 18.26, P < .001) and had a slightly larger effect size for Black women with fitted line plots also supporting a stronger relationship for Black women.

Conclusions: Food insecurity predicts LBW in US counties, and the relationship may be stronger for Black women. Increasing access to healthy food should be considered when planning county-level efforts for improving LBW.

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来源期刊

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

5.10%

发文量

263

期刊介绍： Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities reports on the scholarly progress of work to understand, address, and ultimately eliminate health disparities based on race and ethnicity. Efforts to explore underlying causes of health disparities and to describe interventions that have been undertaken to address racial and ethnic health disparities are featured. Promising studies that are ongoing or studies that have longer term data are welcome, as are studies that serve as lessons for best practices in eliminating health disparities. Original research, systematic reviews, and commentaries presenting the state-of-the-art thinking on problems centered on health disparities will be considered for publication. We particularly encourage review articles that generate innovative and testable ideas, and constructive discussions and/or critiques of health disparities.Because the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities receives a large number of submissions, about 30% of submissions to the Journal are sent out for full peer review.