Low Birthweights: Spatial and Socioeconomic Patterns in Kamloops

This study examines the spatial patterns and socioeconomic correlates of low weight births (infants who weigh less than 2500 grams at birth) in Kamloops, BC between 1990 and 1995. “Natural” zones of low birthweight risk were identified by interpolating geocoded birth data to create a continuous surface map of low birthweight values. The zones were used in turn used to aggregate birth and socioeconomic data. Analysis indicates that low birthweight rates differ significantly across Kamloops, with the highest rates occurring in neighbourhoods on the North Shore. However, low birthweight rates were only moderately correlated with socioeconomic characteristics, with occupation being the strongest predictor. The results suggest, in line with other studies, that low birthweight is the product of a complex of factors, several of which are not captured by socioeconomic characteristics. Social networks, community resources, and the forces that shape them also appear to affect the risk for low birthweight.