Abstract
Low birthweight (LBW; defined as a birthweight < 2500g) is a long-standing public health problem in the United States because it is one of the major causes of infant mortality and morbidity as well as because there exists considerable disparity between white and African-American births. This research examines space-time patterns of the LBW risk in the Greater Los Angeles Area, California, with a specific interest in racial/ethnical differences. Space-time scan statistic is applied to California Birth Statistical Master Files 1985-2004, obtained from the Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, in order to detect changes in spatial distribution of the LBW risk over time. The analysis is adjusted for known risk factors of maternal age and parity, and carried out for three race/ethnicity groups (non-Hispanic white, Hispanic white, and African American) separately. Results indicate significant, but different space-time patterns in the LBW risk for the three race/ethnicity groups, where the Hispanic white group has the most distinctive pattern. Further investigation relating the detected patterns and differences to individual- and neighborhood-level factors is called for to understand background space-time processes that rule the risk of LBW.
