Neighborhood Characteristics: Influences on Pain and Physical Function in Youth at Risk for Chronic Pain.

Cathleen Schild,Catlin Dennis,Emily Reed,Anna Wilson,Tessa Hingston

doi:10.3390/children3040035

Abstract

Neighborhood features such as community socioeconomic status, recreational facilities, and parks have been correlated to the health outcomes of the residents living within those neighborhoods, especially with regard to health-related quality of life, body mass index, and physical activity. The interplay between one’s built environment and one’s perceptions may affect physical health, well-being, and pain experiences. In the current study, neighborhood characteristics and attitudes about physical activity were examined in a high-risk (youths with a parent with chronic pain) and low-risk (youths without a parent with chronic pain) adolescent sample. There were significant differences in neighborhood characteristics between the high-risk (n = 62) and low-risk (n = 77) samples (ages 11–15), with low-risk participants living in residences with more walkability, closer proximity to parks, and higher proportion of neighborhood residents having college degrees. Results indicate that neighborhood features (e.g., walkability and proximity to parks), as well as positive attitudes about physical activity were correlated with lower levels of pain and pain-related disability, and higher performance in physical functioning tests. These findings suggest that the built environment may contribute to pain outcomes in youth, above and beyond the influence of family history of pain.

Highlights

Neighborhood characteristics have an impact on the health outcomes of residents, in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), body mass index (BMI) and the experience of chronic pain [1,2,3]
The current study found some support for the hypothesis that youth at increased risk for chronic pain, due to family history, experience different neighborhood characteristics
Findings from this study suggest that increasing accessibility to parks and greenspaces and shifting attitudes surrounding physical activity may result in decreased pain and reduced psychological distress, which should be examined in future longitudinal studies

Summary

Introduction

Neighborhood characteristics have an impact on the health outcomes of residents, in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), body mass index (BMI) and the experience of chronic pain [1,2,3]. The accessibility of neighborhood amenities (e.g., being able to walk to the grocery store) is thought to be related to physical activity level among residents, leading to changes in health outcomes. To quantify the accessibility of neighborhood amenities, such as schools, grocery stores, and restaurants, walkability scores can be assigned to each physical address based on ease of access without a car. Adolescents may be especially vulnerable to the effects of a neighborhood with low walkability [4]. Low walkability indicates that places of interest, including parks, schools, and stores, are not accessed on foot. The accessibility of the neighborhood in which adolescents live is vital for promoting and providing outlets for adolescent physical activity

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion