Racially motivated hate crime exposure and birth outcomes: Analysis of US vital statistics data 1995-2020

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 13. Health Inequality

Abstract

Exposure to racially motivated hate crime represents a salient form of structural and interpersonal racism that may have detrimental effects on emotional and psychological health. Although prior research shows that stress during pregnancy can influence birth outcomes, empirical evidence linking hate crime exposure during pregnancy to adverse birth outcomes remains limited. Using National Vital Statistics Birth Data from 1995 to 2020 linked to county-level hate crime data, we use linear probability models and leverage variation in the timing of hate crimes in the county to examine whether maternal exposure to a hate crime targeting her own race during pregnancy results in a higher likelihood of preterm birth or low birth weight among Black, Asian, and Hispanic mothers, compared with White mothers as the reference group. Exposure to hate crime increased the likelihood of preterm birth, with particularly larger effects among Black and Asian compared to White mothers. When stratified by maternal education, the relationship between hate crime exposure and the likelihood of preterm birth is significantly larger among Black and Hispanic mothers with at least some college education than similar White mothers. Our findings suggest that hate crime constitutes an important contextual stressor during pregnancy and contributes to racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. Policies aimed at reducing hate crime and mitigating its downstream health effects may improve maternal and infant health and reduce inequities at birth.

Authors

• Yingyue Jiang, Brown University

• Emily Rauscher, Brown University