Objective: Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure continue to impact a significant portion of the US population every year. Differences in neighborhood environment may be a contributing factor. The current study examines whether prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure differ by neighborhood environment.
Methods: We utilized neighborhood environment data linked to a US based, nationally representative cohort of adolescents (N = 8731 (47.2% female); Age: M = 118.6 months, SD = 7.4 months).
Results: Lower neighborhood deprivation, less air pollution, higher lead risk and perceived neighborhood safety were associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, while higher neighborhood deprivation and lower perceived neighborhood safety were associated with prenatal tobacco exposure.
Conclusions: Neighborhood environments differ between prenatal alcohol exposed children and unexposed children, as well as between prenatal tobacco exposed children and unexposed children. Future research should consider the cumulative and interactive effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco and neighborhood environment.
Keywords: neighborhood environment; prenatal alcohol exposure; prenatal tobacco exposure.