Area-level environmental stressors and maternal and infant health in New Jersey

New Jersey (NJ) is one of the most densely populated and racially and ethnically diverse states in the United States (US), yet it experiences some of the highest rates of maternal morbidity nationwide, along with well-documented racial/ethnic disparities in both maternal and infant health outcomes. Social and structural determinants of health may contribute to adverse maternal and infant outcomes and racial/ethnic inequities. Prior research has also linked environmental stressors, such as extreme ambient heat and humidity, greenness, and neighborhood physical disorder (i.e., visual signs of decay, such as graffiti, litter, and abandoned/poorly maintained buildings) to increased risk of preeclampsia, low birthweight, and preterm birth. However, little is known about how these stressors may contribute to or exacerbate racial/ethnic disparities within the distinct context of NJ – a demographically diverse state 
with significant area-level variation in environmental exposures. The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the effect of these environmental stressors on maternal and infant outcomes in NJ anddetermine how associations vary by race/ethnicity. To do this, we will leverage data linkages between three unique longitudinal NJ geospatial data sources (PRISM for temperature, Landsat Satellite Imageryfor residential greenness, and Google Streetview for neighborhood physical disorder) and individual-level birth and hospitalization data from the NJ Integrated Population Health Data (iPHD) Project. Findings from these rigorous analyses can inform public health interventions and guide policy efforts to address structural environmental inequities across New Jersey.