This study investigates how community characteristics can protect adolescents from the negative effects of poverty. Using economic predictors, eight communities with low or high birthrates for 15- to 17-year-old Latinas were identified. Quantitative data on birth-rates, demographics, and the physical environment were obtained from government, hospital, and local sources. Qualitative data on the physical environment and social processes in the community were collected by interviews and observations in these eight communities. The low- and high-birthrate communities differed in their physical environment, the characteristics of the population, social capital, and cultural norms. The zip codes with low adolescent birthrates had a higher percentage of residents of Latino descent, stronger social networks, and more ties to their countries of origin. The findings support a model of community building that focuses on strengthening informal social networks and supporting protective cultural norms.
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