This secondary analysis assessed the impact of neighborhood characteristics on individual substance exposures among pregnant women in California. Zip code-level census data were attached to data from the 1992 California Perinatal Substance Exposure Study to serve as a proxy for neighborhood characteristics. The central hypothesis of this study suggests that there are differences in substance exposure rates among women living in neighborhoods with differing socioeconomic statuses. The second hypothesis for this study suggests that there are no differences among black and white prevalence rates after controlling for neighborhood characteristics. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the proportion of a neighborhood receiving public assistance was a significant predictor for use of amphetamines, opiates, marijuana, tobacco, and any illegal drug but not alcohol or cocaine. Results also indicated that blacks had higher predicted prevalence risks for alcohol and cocaine while whites had higher predicted risks for tobacco, marijuana, and amphetamines.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbmaJ.C.MottF. L.1991. “Substance Use and Prenatal Care during Pregnancy among Young Women.”Family Planning Perspectives23:117–22, 128.
2.
AmaroH.FriedL. E.CabralH.ZuckermanB.1990. “Violence during Pregnancy and Substance Use.”American Journal of Public Health80: 575–79.
3.
AmaroH.ZuckermanB.CabralH.1989. “Drug Use among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk.”Pediatrics84: 144–51.
4.
AneshenselC.S.SucoffC. A.1996. “The Neighborhood Context of Adolescent Mental Health.”Journal of Health and Social Behavior37: 293–310.
5.
BeggsJ.L.VillemezW. J.ArnoldR.1997. “Black Population Concentration and Black-White Inequality: Expanding the Consideration of Place and Space Effects.”Social Forces76: 65–91.
6.
BerensonA.B.StiglichN. J.WilkinsonG. S.AndersonG. D.1991. “Drug Abuse and Other Risk Factors for Physical Abuse in Pregnancy among White Non-Hispanic, Black, and Hispanic Women.”American Journal of Obstetrical Gynecology164: 1491–99.
7.
BresnahanK.ZuckermanB.CabralH.1992. “Psychosocial Correlates of Drug and Heavy Alcohol Use among Pregnant Women at Risk for Drug Use.”Obstetrics and Gynecology80: 976–80.
8.
BuchiK.F.VarnerM. W.ChaseR.1993. “The Prevalence of Substance Abuse among Pregnant Women in Utah.”Obstetrical Gynecology81: 239–42.
9.
BursikR.J.Jr.1988. “Social Organization and Theories of Crime and Delinquency: Problems and Prospects.”Criminology26: 519–51.
10.
Census of Population and Housing, 1990: Summary Tape File 3 (California). 1992a. [CD-ROM; machine readable data files] Prepared by the Bureau of the Census. Washington: The Bureau [producer and distributor].
11.
Census of Population and Housing, 1990: Summary Tape File 3 on CD-ROM Technical Documentation. 1992b. Prepared by the Bureau of the Census. Washington: The Bureau.
12.
ChasnoffI.J.LandressH. J.A.C.S.W., and BarrettM. E.1990. “The Prevalence of Illicit-Drug or Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Discrepancies in Mandatory Reporting in Pinnelas County, Florida.”New England Journal of Medicine322: 1202–6.
13.
ChavkinW.PaoneD.FriedmannP.WiletsI.1993. “Psychiatric Histories of Drug-using Mothers: Treatment Implications.”Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment10: 445–48.
14.
ClappJ.D.1995. “Organizing Inner City Neighborhoods to Reduce Alcohol and Drug Problems.”Journal of Community Practice2: 43–60.
15.
CobrdaW.1995. “ZIP Codes and Beyond.”American Demographics6:10.
16.
CraneJ.1991. “The Epidemic Theory of Ghettos and Neighborhood Effects on Dropping Out and Teenage Childbearing.”American Journal of Sociology96: 1226–59.
17.
DatcherL.1982. “Effects of Community and Family Background on Achievement.”Review of Economics and Statistics64: 32–41.
18.
DeGraafN.D.NieuwbeertaP.HeathA.1995. “Class Mobility and Political Preferences: Individual and Contextual Effects.”American Journal of Sociology100: 997–1027.
19.
ElliotD.S.WilsonW. J.HuzingaD.SampsonR. J.ElliotA.RankinB.1996. “The Effects of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Adolescent Behavior.”Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency33: 389–426.
20.
EnnettS.T.FlewellingR. L.LindroothR. C.NortonE. C.1997. “School and Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with School Rates of Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use.”Journal of Health and Social Behavior38: 55–71.
21.
EnsmingerM.E.LamkinR. P.JacobsenN.1996. “School Leaving: A Longitudinal Perspective including Neighborhood Effects.”Child Development67: 2400–16.
22.
EntwistleD.R.AlexanderK. L.OlsonL. S.1994. “The Gender Gap in Math: Its Possible Origins in Neighborhood Effects.”American Sociological Review59: 822–38.
23.
Figueira-McDonoughJ.1993. “Residence, Dropping Out, and Delinquency Rates.”Deviant Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Journal14: 109–32.
24.
FrankD.A.ZuckermanB. S.AmaroH.AboagyeK.BauchnerH.CabralH.FriedL.HingsonR.KayneH.LevensonS. M.ParkerS.ReeceH.VinciR.1988. “Cocaine Use during Pregnancy: Prevalence and Correlates.”Pediatrics82: 888–95.
25.
GillogleyK.M.EvansA. T.HansenR. L.SamuelsS. J.BatraK. K.1990. “The Perinatal Impact of Cocaine, Amphetamine, and Opiate Use Detected by Universal Intrapartum Screening.”American Journal of Obstetrical Gynecology163: 1535–42.
GoldbergM.E.1995. “Substance-abusing Women: False Stereotypes and Real Needs.”Social Work40: 789–98.
28.
GoodmanR.A. ed. 1990. “Statewide Prevalence of Illicit Drug Use by Pregnant Women—Rhode Island.”Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report39: 225–27.
29.
GottfredsonD.C.McNeilR.J.GottfredsonG. D.1991. “Social Area Influences on Delinquency: A Multi-Level Analysis.”Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency28: 197–226.
30.
GrahamK.KorenG.1991. “Characteristics of Pregnant Women Exposed to Cocaine in Toronto between 1985 and 1990.”Canadian Medical Association Journal144: 563–68.
31.
GurnackA.M.PaulW.1997. “Factors Related to Perinatal Substance Abuse in a California County.”Perceptual and Motor Skills84: 1403–8.
32.
HawthorneJ.L.MaierR. C.1993. “Drug Abuse in an Obstetric Population of a Midsized City.”Southern Medical Journal86: 1334–38.
33.
HortensiaM.FriedL. E.CabralH.ZuckermanB.1990. “Violence during Pregnancy and Substance Use.”American Journal of Public Health80: 575–79.
34.
JargowskyP.A.1997. Poverty and Place: Ghettos, Barrios, and the American CityNew York: Russell Sage Foundation.
35.
JencksC.MayerS. B.1990. “The Social Consequences of Growing Up in a Poor Neighborhood.” Pp. 111–86 in Inner City Poverty in the United States, edited by LynnL.E.Jr.McGrearyM.G.H.Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
36.
KhalsaJ.H.GfroererJ.1991. “Epidemiology and Health Consequences of Drug Abuse among Pregnant Women.”Seminars in Perinatology15: 265–70.
37.
KleinD.ZahndE.1997. “Perspectives of Pregnant Substance-using Women: Findings from the California Perinatal Needs Assessment.”Journal of Psychoactive Drugs29: 55–66.
38.
LadwigG.B.AndersonM. D.1989. “Substance Abuse in Women: Relationship Between Chemical Dependency of Women and Past Reports of Physical and/or Sexual Abuse.”International Journal of the Addictions24: 739–54.
39.
McCallaS.MinkoffHoward L.FeldmanJosephDelkeIsaacSalwinMartinValenciaGloriaGlassLeonard1991. “The Biologic and Social Consequences of Perinatal Cocaine Use in an Inner City Population: Results of an Anonymous Cross-Sectional Study.”American Journal of Obstetrical Gynecology164: 625–30.
40.
MayerS.E.JencksC.1989. “Growing Up in Poor Neighborhoods: How Much Does It Matter?”Science243: 1441–46.
41.
NobleA.VegaW. A.KolodyB.PorterP.HwangJ.MerkG. A.BoleA.1997. “Prenatal Substance Abuse in California: Findings from the Perinatal Substance Exposure Study.”Journal of Psychoactive Drugs29: 43–53.
42.
O'CampoP.GielenA. C.FadenR. F.1995. “Violence by Male Partners against Women during the Childbearing Year: A Contextual Analysis.”American Journal of Public Health85: 1092–97.
43.
OstermanP.1991. “Welfare Participation in a Full Employment Economy: The Impact of Neighborhood.”Social Problems38: 475–91.
44.
OstreaE.M.Jr.BradyM.GauseS.RaymundoA. L.StevensM.1992. “Drug Screening of Newborns by Meconium Analysis: A Large-Scale, Prospective, Epidemiologic Study.”Pediatrics89: 107–13.
45.
ParkR.E.BurgessE. W.1924. “The Urban Community as a Special Pattern and Moral Order.” Pp. 3–18 in The Urban Community, edited by BurgessE.W.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
46.
PeeplesF.LoeberR.1994. “Do Individual Factors and Neighborhood Context Explain Ethnic Differences in Juvenile Delinquency?”Journal of Quantitative Criminology10: 141–58.
47.
Perinatal Substance Exposure Study. 1992. SPSS Readable Data File. Sociometrics Corporation; MDA Data Set No. 13.
48.
PittmanJ.AndrewsH.StrueningE.1986. “The Use of Zip Coded Population Data in Social Area Studies of Service Utilization.”Evaluation and Program Planning9: 309–17.
49.
SchutzmanD.L.Frankenfield-ChernicoffM.ClatterbaughH. E.SingerJ.1991. “Incidence of Intrauterine Cocaine Exposure in a Suburban Setting.”Pediatrics88: 825–27.
50.
Simacha-FaganO.SchwartzJ. E.1986. “Neighborhood and Delinquency: An Assessment of Contextual Effects.”Criminology24: 667–703.
51.
SlutskerL.1992. “Risks Associated with Cocaine Use during Pregnancy.”Obstetrics and Gynecology79: 778–89.
52.
VegaW.A.KolodyB.HwangJ.NobleA.1993a. “Prevalence and Magnitude of Perinatal Substance Exposures in California.”New England Journal of Medicine329: 850–54.
53.
VegaW.A.KolodyB.HwangJ.NobleA.PorterP.1997a. “Perinatal Drug Use among Immigrant and Native-Born Latinas.”Substance Use and Misuse32: 43–62.
54.
VegaW.A.KolodyB.NobleA.HwangJ.PorterP.BoleA.DimasJ.1993b. “Profile of Alcohol and Drug Use during Pregnancy in California 1992: Perinatal Substance Exposure Study.” Scientific Report State of California, Health and Welfare Agency, Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs: Contract No. 91–00252.
55.
VegaW.A.KolodyB.PorterP.NobleA.1997b. “Effects of Age on Perinatal Substance Abuse among Whites and African Americans.”American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse23: 431–51.
56.
WeissM.J.1988. The Clustering of America. New York: Harper & Row.
57.
WilliamsD.R.CollinsC.1995. “U.S. Socioeconomic and Racial Differences in Health: Patterns and Explanations.”Annual Review of Sociology21: 349–86.
58.
WilsonW.J.1987. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public PolicyChicago: University of Chicago Press.
59.
WilsonW.J.1996. When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
60.
ZambranaR.E.HernandezM.Dunkel-SchetterC.ScrimshawS. C. M.1991. “Ethnic Differences in the Substance Use Patterns of Low-Income Pregnant Women.”Family and Community Health13: 1–11.
61.
ZuckermanB.FrankD. A.HingsonR.AmaroH.LevensonS. M.KayneH.ParkerS.VinciR.AboagyeK.FriedL. E.CabralH.TimperiR.BauchnerH.1989. “Effects of Maternal Marijuana and Cocaine Use on Fetal Growth.”New England Journal of Medicine320: 762–68.
