Neighborhood Walkability as a Risk Factor for Preterm Birth Phenotypes in Two Philadelphia Hospitals from 2013-2016.

A total of one in ten infants is born preterm in the U.S. with large racial disparities. Recent data suggest that neighborhood exposures may play a role. Walkability-how easily individuals can walk to amenities-may encourage physical activity. We hypothesized that walkability would be associated with a decreased risk of preterm birth (PTB) and that associations would vary by PTB phenotype. PTB can be spontaneous (sPTB) from conditions such as preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of membranes, or medically indicated (mPTB) from conditions such as poor fetal growth and preeclampsia. We analyzed associations of neighborhood walkability (quantified by their Walk Score® ranking) with sPTB and mPTB in a Philadelphia birth cohort (n = 19,203). Given racial residential segregation, we also examined associations in race-stratified models. Walkability (per 10 points of Walk Score ranking) was associated with decreased odds of mPTB (aOR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98), but not sPTB (aOR 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.12). Walkability was not protective for mPTB for all patients; there was a non-significant protective effect for White (aOR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.01), but not Black patients (aOR 1.05, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.21) (interaction p = 0.03). Measuring health effects of neighborhood characteristics across populations is key for urban planning efforts focused on health equity.

Neighborhood Deprivation and Racial Disparities in Early Pregnancy Impaired Glucose Tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: There is mounting evidence that neighborhoods contribute to perinatal health inequity. We aimed (1) to determine whether neighborhood deprivation (a composite marker of area-level poverty, education, and housing) is associated with early pregnancy impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) and pre-pregnancy obesity and (2) to quantify the extent to which neighborhood deprivation may explain racial disparities in IGT and obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of non-diabetic patients with singleton births ≥ 20 weeks' gestation from 1 January 2017-31 December 2019 in two Philadelphia hospitals. The primary outcome was IGT (HbA1c 5.7-6.4%) at <20 weeks' gestation. Addresses were geocoded and census tract neighborhood deprivation index (range 0-1, higher indicating more deprivation) was calculated. Mixed-effects logistic regression and causal mediation models adjusted for covariates were used. RESULTS: Of the 10,642 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 49% self-identified as Black, 49% were Medicaid insured, 32% were obese, and 11% had IGT. There were large racial disparities in IGT (16% vs. 3%) and obesity (45% vs. 16%) among Black vs. White patients, respectively (p < 0.0001). Mean (SD) neighborhood deprivation was higher among Black (0.55 (0.10)) compared with White patients (0.36 (0.11)) (p < 0.0001). Neighborhood deprivation was associated with IGT and obesity in models adjusted for age, insurance, parity, and race (aOR 1.15, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.24 and aOR 1.39, 95%CI: 1.28, 1.52, respectively). Mediation analysis revealed that 6.7% (95%CI: 1.6%, 11.7%) of the Black-White disparity in IGT might be explained by neighborhood deprivation and 13.3% (95%CI: 10.7%, 16.7%) by obesity. Mediation analysis also suggested that 17.4% (95%CI: 12.0%, 22.4%) of the Black-White disparity in obesity may be explained by neighborhood deprivation. CONCLUSION: Neighborhood deprivation may contribute to early pregnancy IGT and obesity-surrogate markers of periconceptional metabolic health in which there are large racial disparities. Investing in neighborhoods where Black patients live may improve perinatal health equity.

The Uptake of Telemedicine in Obstetric Care During the Early Acute Phase of the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic.

Introduction: The early acute phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic created rapid adaptation in health care delivery. Methods: Using electronic medical record data from two different institutions located in two different states, we examined how telemedicine was integrated into obstetric care. Results: With no telemedicine use prior, both institutions rapidly incorporated telemedicine into prenatal care (PNC). There were significant patient-level and institutional-level differences in telemedicine use. Telemedicine users initiated PNC earlier and had more total visits, earlier timing of ultrasounds, and earlier diabetes screening during pregnancy compared with nonusers. There were no significant differences in delivery mode or stillbirth associated with telemedicine use at either institution. Conclusions: Rapid adoption of obstetric telemedicine maintained adequate prenatal care provision during the early pandemic, but implementation varied across institutions.