Multi-scalar residential context and recovery from illness: An analysis using Swedish register data

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse if recovery from ill-health is influenced by geographical context using a multi-scalar approach to context measurement and Swedish longitudinal register-based data on sickness benefit recipiency as an indicator of onset of and recovery from illness. Our sample consists of individuals that have stayed healthy and in work for a three-year period (2000–2002) and then falls ill during the fourth year (2003), some of who recover to good health in the fifth year (2004). The results show that in areas with above-average percentages of people receiving sickness-benefit there is a reduced probability of recovery. In contrast, high levels of employment in the neighbourhood and in the local area have a positive effect on the chances of recovery. These contextual effects are statistically significant but relatively weak in comparison to the influence of individual level factors such as age, sex, marital status, and income. Our conclusion is that individualised scalable neighbourhoods constitute a potentially valuable addition to the toolbox used in neighbourhood effect studies.