PolicyLab

There is growing awareness of the association of highly racialized political discourse with health behaviors and, ultimately, health outcomes. In this context, the study by Gemmill and colleagues finding a significant increase in preterm births among Latina women following the 2016 US presidential election adds novel information to our understanding of the health impact of political events. Using a conservative interrupted time series analysis, they reported that there were 3.2% to 3.6% more preterm infants born to Latina women after the presidential election than the number expected if the election had not occurred.