1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The objective of the present study was to elaborate the relationships between small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth and neighbourhood factors in Montreal, Québec, a low-crime Canadian city situated on an island with over 1.8 million residents. [...] We evaluated: (1) the extent to which SGA birth was associated with neighbourhood factors across a spectrum of neighbourhood constructs (crime, material/social deprivation, immigrant density and residential stability) using both census and non-census derived descriptors, and (2) the influence on SGA birth of actual crime rates vs. subjective measures of perceptions pertaining to neighbourhood crime.» (p. 22)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
99 819 live singleton infants born to mothers living in Montreal, Québec from 1997 to 2001
2001 census data
Birth registry
Police district crime measures
1997 random digit telephone survey data

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Evidence points to an association between a mother’s place of residence and her newborn’s health, independent of individual characteristics. Neighbourhood constructs such as immigrant density, deprivation and crime have all been separately associated with birth outcomes. Little research has considered the joint influence of variables representing a spectrum of neighbourhood constructs. [...] We sought to evaluate the relationship between neighbourhood measures of reported crime, neighbourhood perceived security, immigrant density, material/social deprivation, residential stability and the odds of small-for-gestationalage (SGA) birth in an urban setting in Canada. [...] Mothers residing in neighbourhoods with the most favourable perception had a lower odds of SGA birth than neighbourhoods with the least favourable perception [...]. Mothers in neighbourhoods with lower proportions of immigrants had lower odds of SGA birth relative to neighbourhoods with the highest proportion of immigrants. Reported crime, residential stability and material/social deprivation (accounting for neighbourhood perception) were not associated with SGA birth. Immigrant density and subjective perceptions of neighbourhood security are associated with SGA birth.» (p. 467)