Changes in Residential Greenspace and Birth Outcomes among Siblings

Differences by Maternal Race

Bibliographic Data

ID15462660
AuthorsSamantha Gailey (0000-0002-4654-1211, University of Michigan–Flint, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume20
Issue18
Pages6790-6790
Publication date2023-09-21
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph20186790
PMID37754649
OpenAlexW4386913234
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited72

Growing research investigates the perinatal health benefits of greenspace in a mother's prenatal environment. However, evidence of associations between residential greenspace and birth outcomes remains mixed, limiting the relevance this work holds for urban policy and greening interventions. Past research relies predominantly on cross-sectional designs that are vulnerable to residential selection bias, and rarely tests effect modification by maternal race/ethnicity, which may contribute to heterogeneous findings. This study uses a rigorous, longitudinal sibling comparison design and maternal fixed effect analyses to test whether increases in maternal exposure to residential greenspace between pregnancies precede improved birth outcomes among non-Hispanic (NH) white ( n = 247,285) and Black ( n = 54,995) mothers (mean age = 28 years) who had at least two consecutive live births in California between 2005 and 2015. Results show that increases in residential greenspace correspond with higher birthweight (coef. = 75.49, 95% CI: 23.48, 127.50) among Black, but not white (coef. = -0.51, 95% CI: -22.90, 21.90), infants. Additional analyses suggest that prior evidence of perinatal benefits associated with residential greenspace among white mothers may arise from residential selection; no such bias is observed for Black mothers. Taken together, these findings support urban greening initiatives in historically under-resourced neighborhoods. Efforts to evenly distribute residential greenspace may reduce persistent racial disparities in birth outcomes, an important step towards promoting health equity across the life course

Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Ethnic group · Geography · Psychological intervention · Sibling · Sociology · Demography · Medicine · Noise Effects and Management · Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health · Urban Transport and Accessibility