Place-level discrimination and birth outcomes

早产和低出生体重是婴儿死亡和儿童残疾的主要原因。 在美国，出生结果中的种族差异依然存在，有证据表明，歧视 这是造成这种差距的部分原因。大多数关于歧视和生育结果的研究 依赖于自我报告的歧视经历，而且很少有研究检验 美国国家层面的歧视。更大敌意的社会背景 少数民族表现出可能会造成心理压力，增加不利出生的风险 结果。这项研究计划的科学目标是开发一种新的县级指标 从社交媒体数据中消除歧视态度，并利用仇恨犯罪数据和 明确和隐含种族偏见的措施，以提供详细和微妙的调查 歧视对生育结果的影响以及出生结果中的种族/族裔差异。 这项研究计划的另一个优势是使用多年数据的纵向研究设计 对于歧视和出生结果的衡量标准，这使得我们能够控制时间 各县市的走势和稳定特点。此外，歧视对 分娩结局可能在怀孕前就开始了。人们对产妇健康的认识越来越多 在受孕前影响胎儿发育和分娩结果。该项目将经验性地 评估地点水平歧视是否与慢性应激的生物标记物有关 处于生育年龄的年轻妇女。这项研究计划由一项培训计划补充，该计划建立了 申请人在流行病学和生物统计学方面的背景，并包括新的培训：1) 发展大数据方面的专业知识，2)衡量辨别力，3)压力生理学和 出生结局。研究和培训相结合的计划将为申请者成功地 评估歧视如何影响少数群体健康和健康的独立研究职业 差距。

Preterm and low birth weight are the leading causes of infant mortality and childhood disability. In the U.S. racial disparities in birth outcomes persist, and there is evidence that discrimination partially contributes to this disparity. Most of research on discrimination and birth outcomes relies on self-reported experiences of discrimination, and there have been few studies examining discrimination at the U.S. national level. Social contexts in which greater hostility towards minorities is manifested may cause psychological stress and increase risk of adverse birth outcomes. The scientific objective of this research plan is to develop a new county-level indicator of discriminatory attitudes from social media data as well as make use hate crimes data and measures of explicit and implicit racial bias to provide a detailed and nuanced investigation of the impact of discrimination on birth outcomes and racial/ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. Another strength of this research plan is the longitudinal study design with multiple years of data for both measures of discrimination and birth outcomes, which allows us to control for temporal trends and stable characteristics of the counties. Furthermore, the influence of discrimination on birth outcomes may begin prior to pregnancy. There is increasing recognition of maternal health prior to conception influencing fetal development and birth outcomes. The project will empirically evaluate whether place-level discrimination is associated with biomarkers of chronic stress among young women of child-bearing age. This research plan is complemented by a training plan that builds on the applicant’s background in epidemiology and biostatistics and includes new training in: 1) developing expertise in Big Data, 2) measurement of discrimination, and 3) stress physiology and birth outcomes. The combined research and training plan will prepare the applicant for a successful independent research career evaluating how discrimination impact minority health and health disparities.