Area-Level Socioeconomic Deprivation, Air Pollution and Term Birth Weight in New York City

摘要

Numerous studies have linked air pollution and area-level socioeconomic deprivation with adverse birth outcomes. Far fewer studies have examined differential impacts of air pollution across the socioeconomic gradient, with mixed results. We leveraged unique exposure and population data for New York City - a city where spatial patterns in social and environmental conditions vary widely - to examine separate and joint associations of area-level deprivation and air pollution on term birth weight. Air pollution exposure was assessed as the mean concentration over pregnancy duration within 300 m of maternal residence, using New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) data. Socioeconomic deprivation was defined based on spatially-stratified Principle Components Analysis on census variables previously associated with pregnancy outcomes. Vital records for hospital births 2008-2010 were restricted to full-term, singleton births to non-smoking mothers (n = 252,967). We observed non-linear associations between air pollution exposures and deprivation; mothers residing in areas in the least-deprived decile had significantly higher (p＜.0001) near-residence nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposures (34.4 ppb, SD 6.5), on average, than did mothers residing in more deprived areas (area NO2for all other SDI deciles ranged from 23.6 to 28.3 ppb). We are currently developing penalized spline models to examine non-linear exposure-response relationships, and effect modification of air pollution-birth weight relationships by area-level deprivation. Refined exposure assessment of air pollution and socioeconomic deprivation across a large, heterogeneous population may enable a better understanding of potential combined effects.