Maps of Florida’s Premature Births

County-by-county maps constructed by University of Florida Health researchers reveal hotspots for preterm births in Florida. These maps help direct the March of Dimes’ statewide efforts to prevent preterm birth, the leading cause of death in infants. Generated from 2011-2014 Florida birth certificate files, the maps were used in the 2015 Florida Prematurity Summit: Where are the State and Counties with Preterm Birth? Preterm birth is a live birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation.

Targeted Outreach

The maps pinpoint specific neighborhoods with high rates of preterm births, enabling organizations like the March of Dimes to direct resources and interventions to these areas. In some areas, like Alachua County, maps have guided the deployment of mobile clinics to specific “hot spots” to provide essential services to communities facing barriers to access. 

Resource Allocation

By visualizing disparities, these maps help policymakers and service delivery systems understand where primary care needs are greatest and reallocate resources to high-need neighborhoods.

Raising Awareness

The density maps have garnered attention from both professional audiences and community members, raising awareness about health disparities that might otherwise go unnoticed. The visual nature of the maps helps to galvanize community members and officials to advocate for change and address the social and environmental factors contributing to premature birth. 

Informing Public-Private Partnerships

Data sharing from these maps has led to the formation of new partnerships between government agencies, service providers, and university administrators to address the issues highlighted.

Maps

These maps were created by Jaclyn M. Hall, Ph.D.