Determining Gentrification’s Relationship to Birth Outcomes in Metropolitan California

Abstract

There is inconsistent evidence whether gentrification, the increase of affluent residents moving into low-income neighborhoods, is detrimental to health. To date, there is no systematic evidence on how gentrification may matter for a range of birth outcomes across cities with varying characteristics. We utilize California’s Birth Cohort File (2009–2012), decennial census data, and the American Community Survey (2008–2012) to investigate the relationship of gentrification to outcomes of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age across California. We find that socioeconomic gentrification is uniformly associated with better birth outcomes. Notably, however, we find that only places specifically experiencing increases in non-White gentrification had this positive impact. These associations vary somewhat by maternal characteristics and by type of gentrification measure utilized; discrepancies between alternative measurement strategies are explored. This study provides evidence that socioeconomic gentrification is positively related to birth outcomes and that the race-ethnic character of gentrification matters, emphasizing the continued need to examine how gentrification may impact a range of health and social outcomes.

Keywords:

• Gentrification
• low birth weight
• preterm birth
• small for gestation
• birth outcomes

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Audrey N. Beck

Audrey N. Beck is an associate professor in the sociology department at San Diego State University. Before joining SDSU, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University in the Office of Population Research. She has a BA in communications studies from UCLA and an MA and PhD in sociology from Duke University.

Kyla Thomas

Kyla Thomas is an associate sociologist at the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. Thomas has a BA in communications studies and sociology from UCLA and a PhD in sociology from Princeton University.

Brian K. Finch

Brian K. Finch is a research professor of sociology and spatial sciences and senior social demographer in the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California. He also serves as the Director of the Southern California Population Research Center. He has a BA in peace and conflict students from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in sociology from SDSU, and a PhD in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Joseph Gibbons

Joseph Gibbons is an associate professor in the sociology department at San Diego State University. Before joining SDSU, he was a visiting assistant professor at Colgate University. He has a BA in sociology from Ramapo College, an MA in sociology from the New School for Social Research, and a PhD in sociology from the University at Albany, SUNY.