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Disparities in psychosocial health and the built environment during pregnancy

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Published/Copyright: November 12, 2012
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International Journal on Disability and Human Development
From the journal International Journal on Disability and Human Development Volume 11 Issue 4

Abstract

Despite advancements in prenatal care and technologies, significant disparities in pregnancy outcomes remain. Non-Hispanic Black women and their infants suffer a disproportionately high burden of poor pregnancy outcomes in comparison to non-Hispanic White women. Race and socioeconomic status alone have failed to account for these persistent disparities; increasing evidence has associated environmental and social factors with poor pregnancy outcomes. This project investigates the joint contributions of environmental and psychosocial factors to the cycle of disparities in pregnancy outcomes in the Healthy Pregnancy, Healthy Baby prospective cohort study of pregnant women in Durham, North Carolina. The results indicate that women who are disadvantaged are exposed to multiple environmental and psychological stressors throughout their pregnancy, some of which are in turn related to the pregnancy outcomes of some of these women. Suggestions on breaking the cycle of disadvantage and disability are discussed.

Keywords: environment; health status disparities; infant; low birth weight; pregnancy outcome; premature birth; public health
Corresponding author: Dr. Pamela Maxson, Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, A135a-LSRC, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Received: 2012-9-2
Accepted: 2012-11-5
Published Online: 2012-11-12
Published in Print: 2012-11-01

©2012 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Editorials
  4. Tribute to the pediatrician Allen C. Crocker (1925–2011)
  5. Break the Cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children
  6. Together we can break the cycle
  7. Review Articles
  8. Environmental smoke exposure associated with increased prevalence of dental caries in low-income children
  9. Ensuring the sustainable future of neglected tropical disease prevention programs through treaty law
  10. Original Articles
  11. The impact of third-hand smoke education in a pediatric emergency department on caregiver smoking policies and quit status: a pilot study
  12. Examining the association between nutrition and psychosocial factors in first-time pregnant women: a cross-sectional pilot study
  13. Assessing arsenic exposure from drinking water in children before and after the improvement of water supply in China
  14. Perinatal exposure to air pollutants had adverse effects on behavioral outcomes in mice
  15. Social and economic determinants of stillbirths in Georgia
  16. Disparities in psychosocial health and the built environment during pregnancy
  17. The use of peer teaching and dramatic play to increase asthma awareness in African American children
  18. Exploring the impact and risks of the 2008 recession for marginalized communities and high-poverty schools’ academic achievement
  19. Substance use and child health outcomes among mothers experiencing homelessness in an Atlanta rehabilitation center
https://doi.org/10.1515/ijdhd-2012-0045
Keywords for this article
environment; health status disparities; infant; low birth weight; pregnancy outcome; premature birth; public health

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Editorials
  4. Tribute to the pediatrician Allen C. Crocker (1925–2011)
  5. Break the Cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children
  6. Together we can break the cycle
  7. Review Articles
  8. Environmental smoke exposure associated with increased prevalence of dental caries in low-income children
  9. Ensuring the sustainable future of neglected tropical disease prevention programs through treaty law
  10. Original Articles
  11. The impact of third-hand smoke education in a pediatric emergency department on caregiver smoking policies and quit status: a pilot study
  12. Examining the association between nutrition and psychosocial factors in first-time pregnant women: a cross-sectional pilot study
  13. Assessing arsenic exposure from drinking water in children before and after the improvement of water supply in China
  14. Perinatal exposure to air pollutants had adverse effects on behavioral outcomes in mice
  15. Social and economic determinants of stillbirths in Georgia
  16. Disparities in psychosocial health and the built environment during pregnancy
  17. The use of peer teaching and dramatic play to increase asthma awareness in African American children
  18. Exploring the impact and risks of the 2008 recession for marginalized communities and high-poverty schools’ academic achievement
  19. Substance use and child health outcomes among mothers experiencing homelessness in an Atlanta rehabilitation center
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