Geospatial analysis of area-level social and behavioral factors associated with short interpregnancy intervals in North Carolina, U.S.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Short interpregnancy intervals (sIPI), defined as six months or less, are associated with adverse birth outcomes and are influenced by socioeconomic factors, which reflect a complex interplay between health outcomes, social factors, health behaviors, and geographic contexts. This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of sIPI across North Carolina, in the Southeast United States (U.S.), and assess its association with social and behavioral factors.

Methods

We used secondary data from the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau spanning 2018-2022 to analyze the spatial distribution of sIPI. Associations between sIPI and social and behavioral factors-including race, fertility age, educational attainment, poverty rates, tra

SUBMITTER: Huang Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12398778 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature