The Great Recession and adverse birth outcomes: Evidence from California, USA.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Prior studies of the health effects of recessions have shown mixed results. Ecological studies often report a positive relationship between economic downturns and population health while individual-level studies often show that conditions related to recessions are deleterious. Our study examines the spatially and temporally heterogenous effects of the Great Recession (TGR) on adverse birth outcomes, a contemporaneous measure of population health that is highly responsive to changing social conditions.

Methods

We use restricted birth cohort data from California (2004-2012) merged with both county- and tract-level socio-demographic data, to explore birth selectivity and temporal and unemployment effects during TGR on adverse birth outcomes.

Results

We find th

SUBMITTER: Finch BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6804518 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature