The role in-utero superstorm sandy exposure plays on the association between minority proportion and future child social skills: a geographic information systems (gis) approach

Previous studies have suggested that in-utero exposure to Superstorm Sandy (SS) is associated with child behavioral problems, including difficulties in adapting to the environment. However, little attention has been given to disparities stemming from the racial concentration within the neighborhoods, often considered an important determinant of children’s early development. The study used Geographic Information System to visualize the distribution of study participants in relation to the minority proportion in New York City (NYC), which represents the percentage of residents identifying as non-White. General Estimating Equations analyses were then conducted to examine the impact of both the minority proportion and in-utero SS exposure status on child social skills at 5 years of age, using 255 children from the Stress in Pregnancy study. Child social skills were ascertained based on the BASC-2 (Behavior Assessment System for Children). The minority proportion was obtained from 2010 census data using participant census tracts. The dot density mapping indicated that all participants who were SS exposed and presented with clinically significant deficits in social skills resided in areas with medium to high concentrations of minority populations. Although the main effects of SS exposure and residing in minority neighborhood on child social skills were not statistically significant, SS exposure was found to moderate the association between minority proportion and social skills (B = -.11; p = .05). Those findings suggest that when mothers experienced a disaster during pregnancy, child social skills were influenced differently depending on the proportion of minority residents in their neighborhood, with a higher proportion leading to decreased child social skills. The effect of exposure to the natural disaster in-utero on subsequent child social skills is more deleterious in minority neighborhoods. Given that social skills at age 5 are known to buffer subsequent stress on clinical neurobehavioral development, it is important for urban planners and policymakers to ensure equitable distribution of resources, especially in minority neighborhoods, during recovery. Short-term efforts should prioritize educational interventions for children’s social and emotional development, especially in minority-serving schools.