Abstract
Approximately 10% of African-American women smoke during pregnancy compared to 16% of White women. While relatively low, the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy among African-American women exceeds the Healthy People 2010 goal of 1%. In the current study, we address gaps in extant research by focusing on associations between racial/ethnic residential segregation and smoking during pregnancy among urban African-American women. We linked measures of segregation to birth certificates and data from the 2000 census in a sample of US-born African-American women (n=403,842) living in 216 large US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Logistic regression models with standard errors adjusted for multiple individual observations within MSAs were used to examine associations between segregation and smoking during pregnancy and to control for important socio-demographic confounders. In all models, a u-shaped relationship was observed. Both low segregation and high segregation were associated with higher odds of smoking during pregnancy when compared to moderate segregation. We speculate that low segregation reflects a contagion process, whereby salutary minority group norms are weakened by exposure to the more harmful behavioral norms of the majority population. High segregation may reflect structural attributes associated with smoking such as less stringent tobacco control policies, exposure to urban stressors, targeted marketing of tobacco products, or limited access to treatment for tobacco dependence. A better understanding of both deleterious and protective contextual influences on smoking during pregnancy could help to inform interventions designed to meet Healthy People 2010 target goals.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 372-388 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Journal of Urban Health |
| Volume | 84 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Blacks/African Americans
- Pregnancy
- Residential segregation
- Smoking
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Associations between residential segregation and smoking during pregnancy among urban African-American women. / Bell, Janice F; Zimmerman, Frederick J.; Mayer, Jonathan D.; Almgren, Gunnar R.; Huebner, Colleen E.
In: Journal of Urban Health, Vol. 84, No. 3, 05.2007, p. 372-388.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between residential segregation and smoking during pregnancy among urban African-American women
AU - Bell, Janice F
AU - Zimmerman, Frederick J.
AU - Mayer, Jonathan D.
AU - Almgren, Gunnar R.
AU - Huebner, Colleen E.
PY - 2007/5
Y1 - 2007/5
N2 - Approximately 10% of African-American women smoke during pregnancy compared to 16% of White women. While relatively low, the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy among African-American women exceeds the Healthy People 2010 goal of 1%. In the current study, we address gaps in extant research by focusing on associations between racial/ethnic residential segregation and smoking during pregnancy among urban African-American women. We linked measures of segregation to birth certificates and data from the 2000 census in a sample of US-born African-American women (n=403,842) living in 216 large US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Logistic regression models with standard errors adjusted for multiple individual observations within MSAs were used to examine associations between segregation and smoking during pregnancy and to control for important socio-demographic confounders. In all models, a u-shaped relationship was observed. Both low segregation and high segregation were associated with higher odds of smoking during pregnancy when compared to moderate segregation. We speculate that low segregation reflects a contagion process, whereby salutary minority group norms are weakened by exposure to the more harmful behavioral norms of the majority population. High segregation may reflect structural attributes associated with smoking such as less stringent tobacco control policies, exposure to urban stressors, targeted marketing of tobacco products, or limited access to treatment for tobacco dependence. A better understanding of both deleterious and protective contextual influences on smoking during pregnancy could help to inform interventions designed to meet Healthy People 2010 target goals.
AB - Approximately 10% of African-American women smoke during pregnancy compared to 16% of White women. While relatively low, the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy among African-American women exceeds the Healthy People 2010 goal of 1%. In the current study, we address gaps in extant research by focusing on associations between racial/ethnic residential segregation and smoking during pregnancy among urban African-American women. We linked measures of segregation to birth certificates and data from the 2000 census in a sample of US-born African-American women (n=403,842) living in 216 large US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Logistic regression models with standard errors adjusted for multiple individual observations within MSAs were used to examine associations between segregation and smoking during pregnancy and to control for important socio-demographic confounders. In all models, a u-shaped relationship was observed. Both low segregation and high segregation were associated with higher odds of smoking during pregnancy when compared to moderate segregation. We speculate that low segregation reflects a contagion process, whereby salutary minority group norms are weakened by exposure to the more harmful behavioral norms of the majority population. High segregation may reflect structural attributes associated with smoking such as less stringent tobacco control policies, exposure to urban stressors, targeted marketing of tobacco products, or limited access to treatment for tobacco dependence. A better understanding of both deleterious and protective contextual influences on smoking during pregnancy could help to inform interventions designed to meet Healthy People 2010 target goals.
KW - Blacks/African Americans
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Residential segregation
KW - Smoking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34248359107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34248359107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11524-006-9152-4
DO - 10.1007/s11524-006-9152-4
M3 - Article
VL - 84
SP - 372
EP - 388
JO - Journal of Urban Health
JF - Journal of Urban Health
SN - 1099-3460
IS - 3
ER -