Visualization of Preterm Birth Health Disparities

Pre-term birth is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in industrialized countries. There is a growing body of literature that suggests socio-economic and sociodemographic factors may be causal factors that either explain or confound birth outcome disparities. Understanding differential patterns in birth outcomes is necessary to develop effective interventions designed to decrease birth outcome disparities amongst pregnant women. This project used geographic information systems and publicly available birth records to explore geographic disparities in birth outcomes in North Carolina. Building on prior statistical and computational models, this poster presents the visualization of geographic variation in birth outcomes as associated with the following maternal demographic predictor variables: race/ethnicity; age; education level; and marital status. Birth outcomes associated with health history variables of cigarette smoking and the Kotelchuck Index are also visualized. Data visualization is an important step in exploring patterns and understanding the context of pre-term birth. This research will help to identify target areas for future pre-term birth prevention interventions.