IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i18p6790-d1244325.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Changes in Residential Greenspace and Birth Outcomes among Siblings: Differences by Maternal Race

Author

Listed:
  • Samantha Gailey

    (Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
    Department of Public Health, Michigan State University, Flint, MI 48502, USA)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Samantha Gailey, 2023. "Changes in Residential Greenspace and Birth Outcomes among Siblings: Differences by Maternal Race," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(18), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:18:p:6790-:d:1244325
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/18/6790/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/18/6790/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. van den Berg, Agnes E. & Maas, Jolanda & Verheij, Robert A. & Groenewegen, Peter P., 2010. "Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1203-1210, April.
    2. Oakes, J. Michael, 2004. "The (mis)estimation of neighborhood effects: causal inference for a practicable social epidemiology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(10), pages 1929-1952, May.
    3. Silvana Andréa Molina Lima & Regina Paolucci El Dib & Meline Rossetto Kron Rodrigues & Guilherme Augusto Rago Ferraz & Ana Claudia Molina & Carlos Alberto Pilan Neto & Marcelo Aparecido Ferraz de Lima, 2018. "Is the risk of low birth weight or preterm labor greater when maternal stress is experienced during pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, July.
    4. Hector A. Olvera-Alvarez & Matthew H. E. M. Browning & Andreas M. Neophytou & Gregory N. Bratman, 2021. "Associations of Residential Brownness and Greenness with Fasting Glucose in Young Healthy Adults Living in the Desert," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    5. Peter James & Jaime E. Hart & Mariana C. Arcaya & Diane Feskanich & Francine Laden & S.V. Subramanian, 2015. "Neighborhood Self-Selection: The Role of Pre-Move Health Factors on the Built and Socioeconomic Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Jenny J. Roe & Catharine Ward Thompson & Peter A. Aspinall & Mark J. Brewer & Elizabeth I. Duff & David Miller & Richard Mitchell & Angela Clow, 2013. "Green Space and Stress: Evidence from Cortisol Measures in Deprived Urban Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, September.
    7. Joan A. Casey & Peter James & Kara E. Rudolph & Chih-Da Wu & Brian S. Schwartz, 2016. "Greenness and Birth Outcomes in a Range of Pennsylvania Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, March.
    8. Ncube, Collette N. & Enquobahrie, Daniel A. & Albert, Steven M. & Herrick, Amy L. & Burke, Jessica G., 2016. "Association of neighborhood context with offspring risk of preterm birth and low birthweight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 156-164.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gailey, Samantha, 2022. "Moving to greener pastures: Health selection into neighborhood green space among a highly mobile and diverse population in California," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    2. Susan L. Prescott & Alan C. Logan, 2016. "Transforming Life: A Broad View of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Concept from an Ecological Justice Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-44, November.
    3. Argyro Anna Kanelli & Margarita Kokkinaki & Marios-Dimitrios Sinvare & Chrisovalantis Malesios & Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos & Olga-Ioanna Kalantzi, 2023. "Keep Calm and Go Out: Urban Nature Exposure, Mental Health, and Perceived Value during the COVID-19 Lockdown," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Stephanie M Eick & Dana E Goin & Monika A Izano & Lara Cushing & Erin DeMicco & Amy M Padula & Tracey J Woodruff & Rachel Morello-Frosch, 2020. "Relationships between psychosocial stressors among pregnant women in San Francisco: A path analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Michael R. Kramer & Eric B. Schneider & Jennifer B. Kane & Claire Margerison-Zilko & Jessica Jones-Smith & Katherine King & Pamela Davis-Kean & Joseph G. Grzywacz, 2017. "Getting Under the Skin: Children’s Health Disparities as Embodiment of Social Class," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 36(5), pages 671-697, October.
    6. Jonathan L. Blitstein & David M. Murray & Peter J. Hannan & William R. Shadish, 2005. "Increasing the Degrees of Freedom in Future Group Randomized Trials," Evaluation Review, , vol. 29(3), pages 268-286, June.
    7. Sékou Samadoulougou & Laurence Letarte & Alexandre Lebel, 2022. "Association between Neighbourhood Deprivation Trajectories and Self-Perceived Health: Analysis of a Linked Survey and Health Administrative Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Mitchell, Richard & Dujardin, Claire & Popham, Frank & Farfan Portet, Maria-Isabel & Thomas, Isabelle & Lorant, Vincent, 2011. "Using matched areas to explore international differences in population health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1113-1122.
    9. Humphrey, Jamie L. & Root, Elisabeth D., 2017. "Spatio-temporal neighborhood impacts on internalizing and externalizing behaviors in U.S. elementary school children: Effect modification by child and family socio-demographics," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 52-61.
    10. S. Brent Jackson & Kathryn T. Stevenson & Lincoln R. Larson & M. Nils Peterson & Erin Seekamp, 2021. "Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    12. Kay Fretwell & Alison Greig, 2019. "Towards a Better Understanding of the Relationship between Individual’s Self-Reported Connection to Nature, Personal Well-Being and Environmental Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, March.
    13. Will Davis & Alexander Gordan & Rusty Tchernis, 2021. "Measuring the spatial distribution of health rankings in the United States," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(11), pages 2921-2936, November.
    14. Andrea Amerio & Andrea Brambilla & Alessandro Morganti & Andrea Aguglia & Davide Bianchi & Francesca Santi & Luigi Costantini & Anna Odone & Alessandra Costanza & Carlo Signorelli & Gianluca Serafini , 2020. "COVID-19 Lockdown: Housing Built Environment’s Effects on Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-10, August.
    15. Bertram, Christine & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2015. "The role of urban green space for human well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 139-152.
    16. Somajita Paul & Harini Nagendra, 2017. "Factors Influencing Perceptions and Use of Urban Nature: Surveys of Park Visitors in Delhi," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-23, April.
    17. Anna Maria Santiago & Kristen A. Berg & Joffré Leroux, 2021. "Assessing the Impact of Neighborhood Conditions on Neurodevelopmental Disorders during Childhood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, August.
    18. Johnson, Rucker C. & Schoeni, Robert F. & Rogowski, Jeannette A., 2012. "Health disparities in mid-to-late life: The role of earlier life family and neighborhood socioeconomic conditions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 625-636.
    19. De Clercq, B. & Vyncke, V. & Hublet, A. & Elgar, F.J. & Ravens-Sieberer, U. & Currie, C. & Hooghe, M. & Ieven, A. & Maes, L., 2012. "Social capital and social inequality in adolescents’ health in 601 Flemish communities: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 202-210.
    20. Liwen Li & Klaus W. Lange, 2023. "Assessing the Relationship between Urban Blue-Green Infrastructure and Stress Resilience in Real Settings: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:18:p:6790-:d:1244325. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.