Spatio-temporal patterning of small area low birth weight incidence and its correlates: A latent spatial structure approach

► We study flexible latent structure models to analyze space-time variation in LBW. ► There is unexplained space-time variation beyond that explained by predictors. ► The proportion of black people and income are risk factors of LBW in GA and SC. ► Two dominant residual temporal components are estimated. ► Our model provides a better goodness-of-fit to data than the conventional models.