Geographic Variation in Reproductive Health Among the Black Population in the US: An Analysis of Nativity, Region of Origin, and Division of Residence

Reproductive health outcomes are indicators of larger social processes and researchers have long documented inequalities in these outcomes among Blacks and Whites in the United States. However, we do not fully understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for these inequalities. We believe that this is partially due to the treatment of the Black population as a monolith, which masks underlying variation in health risks and outcomes. By examining the variation that exists beneath the average, we can begin to develop a better understanding of the potential sources of health inequalities between Blacks and other racialized populations. We provide an application of this perspective through a geographic examination of reproductive health outcomes within the Black population. Using national birth records data from 2013 to 2016, we examine differences in low birth weight, preterm birth, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes by nativity (i.e., US- or foreign-born), region of origin (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean), and current US division of residence (e.g., Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic) within the Black population. While foreign-born Blacks are at a lower risk for low birth weight, preterm birth, and gestational hypertension, they are at an elevated risk for gestational diabetes compared to US-born Blacks. Moreover, we find substantial variation in this general pattern across region of origin and division of residence in the US. These findings demonstrate the potential role of migration, context, and selectivity in the health of foreign-born Blacks and demonstrate that national averages mask geographic variation, limiting our understanding of the contributions of these and other social processes to the health of racialized groups in the US.

Duke Scholars

Author Hedwig Eugenie Lee Sociology