Green published in Demography

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, recently co-authored a new article published in Demography. Co-authors include Molly Martin and Alexander Chapman.

In “The Causal Effect of Increasing Area-Level Income on Birth Outcomes and Pregnancy-Related Health: Estimates From the Marcellus Shale Boom Economy,” Green and co-authors analyzed the impact on area-level income gains on birth outcomes and pregnancy health by using tax and birth certificate data. They specifically worked with school districts above the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. Additionally, they worked with a subsample of siblings to better understand income effects associated with pre-boom district poverty rates.

“The effect of income gains on low birth weight does not appear to operate through birthing parents’ smoking, pre-pregnancy weight status, or gestational weight gain. Hence this article adds evidence to the growing literature that increasing income leads to a significant improvement in birth weight independent of measured health behaviors.”

Read the whole article here.

**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson