Traffic-related and socioeconomic indicators in association with low birth weight and preterm births in eastern Massachusetts between 1996 and 2002

Abstract

Previous evidence has suggested that physical and social characteristics of places are important factors in determining human health. These characteristics may define gradients of exposure, and as result, they may define gradients of population health outcomes. Exposures to air pollution have been shown to affect indicators of health, for example, increasing risk of adverse birth outcomes. The present work was carried out with the main goal to study the association between indicators of city-specific gradients of traffic and socioeconomic measures and low birth weight and preterm births in eastern Massachusetts.