Disparities in birth outcomes within the U.S. White population: Prevalence of low birth weight among immigrant mothers from the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

Immigration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has diversified the U.S. non-Hispanic White population. Analyzing health disparities within this group is a complex task due to data limitations across most federal and state data collection systems. This study investigates disparities in the risk of giving birth to a low-birth-weight infant among foreign-born non-Hispanic White MENA and non-MENA mothers and by MENA mothers’ nationality. This population-based study uses Restricted-Use Detail Natality Data from 2016 to 2019 accessed through the National Center for Health Statistics and provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study examines the risk of giving birth to a low-birth-weight infant (<2500g) among foreign-born non-Hispanic White mothers by MENA/non-MENA status as the primary independent variable of interest. Logistic regression models are used to control for social and demographic characteristics, medical risk factors, and measures of prenatal care adequacy. Results are presented as odds ratios. Among foreign-born non-Hispanic White mothers, 139,708 (32%) are classified as MENA and 296,093 (68%) as non-MENA. Results show that after controlling for social and demographic characteristics, medical factors, and measures of prenatal care adequacy, foreign-born non-Hispanic White MENA mothers have greater odds of giving birth to a low-birth-weight infant than their non-MENA counterparts (OR: 1.443, p-value <0.001). Increased immigration from the MENA region has contributed to changes in health profiles among foreign-born non-Hispanic White mothers. As this group grows, understanding the impact of immigration on the composition of the non-Hispanic White population, and consequently, racial disparities in the U.S., is crucial for researchers and policymakers.