Neighborhood Children Research Articles

Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Child Maltreatment Reports.

Reports of child maltreatment vary by neighborhood characteristics, yet the influence of housing affordability is less understood. The current study examines the relationship between reports of suspected child maltreatment and the spatial distribution of affordable housing across 2,341 census tracts in Los Angeles County, California. Bayesian conditionally autoregressive model results indicate that neighborhoods where residents paid a greater share of their income in rent had fewer reports of suspected child maltreatment, while neighborhoods with a higher number of subsidized rental units had more reports. These findings suggest that higher cost neighborhoods provide supportive resources and amenities to families which may reduce risk of child maltreatment. Subsidized housing units are more likely to be located in high poverty, under resourced neighborhoods, thus undermining the benefits of these programs to families. These findings have implications for equitable housing policy that promotes inclusive communities as a primary prevention strategy for child maltreatment.

Moved to Vote: The Long-Run Effects of Neighborhoods on Political Participation

Abstract How does one's childhood neighborhood shape political engagement later in life? We study voting rates of children who were displaced by public housing demolitions and moved to higher opportunity areas using housing vouchers. Those displaced during childhood had 11% (2 pp) higher participation in the 2016 Presidential election and were 10% (2.9 pp) more likely to vote in any general election. We argue that the results are unlikely to be driven by changes in incarceration or parental outcomes but rather by political socialization or improvements in education and earnings. These results suggest that housing assistance programs may reduce inequality in political participation.

Cumulative Health Vulnerabilities Among Adolescents by Age and Neighborhood Opportunity.

Early detection of health vulnerabilities in adolescents is integral to promoting healthy behaviors into adulthood. Our objective was to quantify the prevalence of health vulnerabilities among adolescents and examine differences by age and neighborhood opportunity. In a cross-sectional analysis of electronic health record data for adolescents aged 13 to 18 years with preventive visits in a large pediatric primary care network between September 2021 and September 2022, we examined 5 health vulnerabilities: Tobacco use, substance use, firearm access, condomless intercourse, and depressive symptoms. Health vulnerabilities were assessed via self-reported adolescent health questionnaire and the validated Patient Health Questionnaire-Modified. Prevalence of health vulnerabilities were calculated alone and in combination, and compared by age and by quintile of neighborhood Child Opportunity Index (COI) score. Multivariable logistic regression estimated associations of neighborhood COI with reporting ≥2 health vulnerabilities. Among 40 197 adolescents (57.7% aged 13-15 years, 66.3% living in "high"/"very high" COI neighborhoods), 29.7% reported at least 1 health vulnerability and 7.9% reported ≥2 vulnerabilities. Cumulative health vulnerabilities were more prevalent among older adolescents and adolescents from lower opportunity neighborhoods. In adjusted models, lower COI was associated with 65% higher odds of having ≥2 vulnerabilities (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.43-1.91) compared with adolescents from the highest COI quintile. Understanding the relationship between health vulnerabilities and neighborhood opportunities among adolescents may allow pediatric primary care providers and health systems to offer more tailored community support services and transdiagnostic specialized care navigation to address the health needs of teens with multiple vulnerabilities.

Childhood neighborhoods and cause-specific adult mortality in Sweden 1939–2015

The socioeconomic health gradient has widened in recent decades. We study how childhood socioeconomic neighborhood conditions influence gender- and cause-specific adult mortality. Using uniquely detailed geocoded longitudinal microdata for a Swedish town (1939–1967), with a follow-up in national registers (1968–2015), we apply Cox proportional hazards models and estimate individual neighborhoods at the address-level. We find that childhood neighborhood social class has a lasting influence on male adult mortality (ages 40–69), even when adjusting for class position, class origin, neighborhood physical attributes and school districts. This impact was particularly pronounced for preventable causes of death, pointing to lifestyle and behavioral factors as important mechanisms.

Family, school, neighbourhood or all three: Differences in tertiary educational achievement among the Russian ethno-linguistic minority in Tallinn Urban Region, Estonia

Labour market outcomes of ethnic minorities tend to be lower compared to members of the majority population. Better education obtained in the host country has the potential to mitigate such ethnic labour market disadvantage. In this study, we will focus on the role of family, neighbourhood and school characteristics in the achievement of tertiary education among the minority population. Our empirical context is the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn, and its wider urban region. Tallinn Urban Region makes for an interesting case because of the high share of the minority population, modest immigration over the past three decades, and high levels segregation in different life domains, in neighbourhoods, schools and in the labour market. We apply a longitudinal study design to examine the factors that are related to the achievement of tertiary education among second and third generation immigrants. We find that studying in schools together with majority population students is associated with obtaining a university degree, when controlling for parental characteristics. However, levels of ethnic segregation in the childhood neighbourhood are not related to achieving tertiary education, but living in a neighbourhood with a higher share of tertiary-educated people is. Also, a higher level of social integration among minority children, but not immigrant generation, is positively associated with achieving tertiary education.

Adolescent network positions and memory performance in adulthood: Evidence from sibling fixed effects models with sociometric network data

Although research has explored social factors influencing memory performance during adolescence, the impact of adolescent social network positions remains largely unknown. This study examines whether adolescent network position is associated with memory performance in adulthood, while also considering potential gender differences. The study used a sibling sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 2462) and employed sibling fixed effects models to account for unobserved family background factors, such as genetics, parental characteristics, family environment, and childhood neighborhood. Four dimensions of adolescent network position—i.e., popularity, sociality, degree centrality, and closeness centrality—were sociometrically assessed in schools. Memory performance in adulthood was measured using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. The sibling fixed effects estimates indicate that sociality, degree centrality, and closeness centrality are significantly associated with increased memory performance in adulthood, even after controlling for unobserved family heterogeneity as well as a set of individual-level covariates. In contrast, controlling for unobserved family heterogeneity attenuated the association for popularity, making it statistically insignificant. This study also provides evidence of gender differences in the association between social network position and memory performance. The associations for popularity, sociality, and degree centrality are more pronounced among men than women. This study’s findings highlight the importance of adolescent network positions as social determinants in shaping cognitive outcomes over the life course. Interventions that encourage positive peer interactions and reduce social isolation during adolescence may help improve cognitive health in the population.

Formation of children's neighborhood spaces: Between everyday life and freedom

Idealnya anak-anak berinteraksi pada ruang-ruang yang telah disediakan dengan kondisi fisik ruang yang nyaman dan aman untuk anak-anak. Namun anak-anak dapat memiliki kehendak untuk menentukan ruang-ruang interaksi yang disukainya. Maka perlu dilakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui bagaimana neighborhood anak-anak membentuk ruang interaksi dan dimana posisi yang mereka sukai. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan grounded theory berlokasi di salah satu permukiman di Kabupaten Bogor Jawa Barat Indonesia. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa anak-anak dalam menentukan ruang interaksi dilatarbelakangi oleh keseharian yang meliputi tanggung jawab, aktivitas yang disukai, aktivitas berkumpul; serta kebebasan yang meliputi kebebasan mengkonsumsi waktu dan kebebasan mengkonsumsi ruang. Posisi yang disukai pada ruang interaksi adalah di sekitar lapangan badminton dan di sepanjang pinggiran taman. Penelitian ini bermanfaat bagi arsitek permukiman agar dapat merancang setiap sisi ruang sebagai kemungkinan menjadi ruang interaksi yang sesuai dengan pikiran dan kehendak anak-anak. Studi ini juga bermanfaat untuk dapat meningkatkan level neighborhood anak-anak.

Union formation of the children of immigrants: Does the ethnic composition of the childhood neighbourhood matter?

AbstractThis paper examines whether first union formation behaviour of children of immigrants varies according to the ethnic composition of the neighbourhood in which they grew up. Growing up surrounded by large shares of majority‐group members may influence union formation behaviour of children of immigrants in later life. However, the local residential contexts during childhood have been overlooked in previous studies. Using full‐population data from Dutch registers, we estimate multinomial event‐history models to examine the timing and type of first union (direct marriage or unmarried cohabitation) as a function of the proportion of majority‐group residents in the neighbourhood at age 15. We focus on Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese second‐generation individuals born in the Netherlands between 1986 and 1990, follow their union formation into young adulthood and compare it to that of their Dutch peers. We find limited support for the influence of the childhood neighbourhood's ethnic composition on union formation; moreover, this influence seems to vary across origin groups.

Association between neighborhood disadvantage and children's oral health outcomes in urban families in the Chicago area.

The prevalence of childhood caries in urban Chicago, compared with national and state data, indicates that neighborhood context influences oral health. Our objective was to delineate the influence of a child's neighborhood on oral health outcomes that are predictive of caries (toothbrushing frequency and plaque levels). Our study population represents urban, Medicaid-enrolled families in the metropolitan Chicago area. Data were obtained from a cohort of participants (child-parent dyads) who participated in the Coordinated Oral Health Promotion (CO-OP) trial at 12 months of study participation (N = 362). Oral health outcomes included toothbrushing frequency and plaque levels. Participants' neighborhood resource levels were measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). Linear and logistic regression models were used to measure the influence of ADI on plaque scores and toothbrushing frequency, respectively. Data from 362 child-parent dyads were analyzed. The mean child age was 33.6 months (SD 6.8). The majority of children were reported to brush at least twice daily (n = 228, 63%), but the mean plaque score was 1.9 (SD 0.7), classified as "poor." In covariate-adjusted analyses, ADI was not associated with brushing frequency (0.94, 95% CI 0.84-1.06). ADI was associated with plaque scores (0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.09, p value = 0.007). Findings support the hypothesis that neighborhood-level factors influence children's plaque levels. Because excessive plaque places a child at high risk for cavities, we recommend the inclusion of neighborhood context in interventions and policies to reduce children's oral health disparities. Existing programs and clinics that serve disadvantaged communities are well-positioned to support caregivers of young children in maintaining recommended oral health behaviors.

The Echo of Neighborhood Disadvantage: Multigenerational Contextual Hardship and Adult Income for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos

Drawing on 35 years of restricted geocoded National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) data, we estimate the association between multigenerational exposure to neighborhood disadvantage in childhood and income in adulthood. Invoking cousin fixed effects models that adjust for unobserved legacies of disadvantage that cascade across generations, we find that families where both mothers and their children are exposed to childhood neighborhood disadvantage yield reduced earnings, net of observed and unobserved confounders, for all groups except for Blacks. We theorize that discrimination and racism salient for Blacks in the labor market may dim the ability of neighborhood attainment to act as a main pathway to social and economic mobility. These results push scholars to conceptualize neighborhoods as much more durable features of inequality and refine our understanding of the uneven economic returns to neighborhood attainment across race and ethnicity.

The impact of neighborhoods and friendships on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents: A report from the medical student CHANGES study.

To examine the experience of interracial anxiety among health professionals and how it may affect the quality of their interactions with patients from racially marginalized populations. We explored the influence of prior interracial exposure-specifically through childhood neighborhoods, college student bodies, and friend groups-on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents. We also examined whether levels of interracial anxiety change from medical school through residency. Web-based longitudinal survey data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation Study. We used a retrospective longitudinal design with four observations for each trainee. The study population consisted of non-Black US medical trainees surveyed in their 1st and 4th years of medical school and 2nd and 3rd years of residency. Mixed effects longitudinal models were used to assess predictors of interracial anxiety and assess changes in interracial anxiety scores over time. In total, 3155 non-Black medical trainees were followed for 7 years. Seventy-eight percent grew up in predominantly White neighborhoods. Living in predominantly White neighborhoods and having less racially diverse friends were associated with higher levels of interracial anxiety among medical trainees. Trainees' interracial anxiety scores did not substantially change over time; interracial anxiety was highest in the 1st year of medical school, lowest in the 4th year, and increased slightly during residency. Neighborhood and friend group composition had independent effects on interracial anxiety, indicating that premedical racial socialization may affect medical trainees' preparedness to interact effectively with diverse patient populations. Additionally, the lack of substantial change in interracial anxiety throughout medical training suggests the importance of providing curricular tools and structure (e.g., instituting interracial cooperative learning activities) to foster the development of healthy interracial relationships.

Impacts of combined childhood exposures to poor neighborhood quality, peer friendships and family relationships on adult depression: A seven-year longitudinal study

BackgroundLittle is known about how multisystemic childhood exposures predict adult depression. This study aims to examine the effects of multisystemic childhood exposures on the onset and remission of adult depression. MethodsData were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) (wave 1–4), which is a nationally representative longitudinal survey of people 45 years of age or older in China. Childhood family relationships (CFR), childhood peer friendships (CPF), and childhood neighborhood quality (CNQ) scores were recoded into binary (No = 0, Yes = 1) according to the first quantile value. Participants were divided into four groups based on the total number of poor childhood exposures (group 0–3). The generalized linear mixed model was used to test the longitudinal relationship between combined poor childhood exposures and adult depression. ResultsOf the 4696 participants (55.1 % males), 22.5 % suffered from depression at baseline. The incidence of depression increased from group0 to group3 in four waves, reaching the peak in wave 2018 (incidence of group0 to group3: 14.1 %, 18.5 %, 22.8 %, 27.4 %, p < 0.001), with declining remission rates that reached its lowest in wave 2018 (50.8 %, 41.3 %, 34.3 %, 31.7 %, p < 0.001). The persistent depression rate increased from group0 to group3 (2.7 %, 5.0 %, 8.1 %, 13.0 %, p < 0.001). The risk of depression in group1 (AOR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.27–1.77), group2 (AOR = 2.43, 95%CI: 2.01–2.94) and group3 (AOR = 4.24, 95%CI: 3.25–5.54) were significantly higher than that in group0. LimitationsChildhood histories were collected via self-reported questionnaires, and thus recall bias was inevitable. ConclusionsMultisystem poor childhood exposures jointly increased the onset and persistence of adult depression, as well as reduced the remission rate of depression.

Childhood neighborhood quality, peer relationships, and trajectory of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults

Childhood neighborhood quality, peer relationships, and trajectory of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults

Longitudinal associations between neighborhood child opportunity and physical fitness for New York City public school youth.

Neighborhood environments can support fitness-promoting behavior; yet, little is known about their influence on youth physical fitness outcomes over time. We examined longitudinal associations between neighborhood opportunity and youth physical fitness among NYC public school youth. The Child Opportunity Index (COI), a composite index of 29 indicators measuring neighborhood opportunity at the census tract-level, along with scores on four selected COI indicators were linked to NYC FITNESSGRAM youth at baseline. Fitness outcomes (measured annually, 2011 - 2018) included BMI, curl-ups, push-ups, and PACER laps. Unstratified and age-stratified adjusted three-level generalized liner mixed models, nested by census tract and time, estimated the association between COI and fitness outcomes. The analytic sample (n=204,939) lived in very low (41%) or low (30%) opportunity neighborhoods. Unstratified models indicate that overall COI is modestly associated with improved youth physical fitness outcomes. The strongest opportunity-fitness associations were observed for PACER. Stratified models show differences in associations across younger vs. older youth. We find that neighborhood factors are associated with youth fitness outcomes over time, with the strength of the associations dependent on age. Future implications include better informed place-based interventions tailored to specific life stages to promote youth health.

Neighbourhood deprivation across eight decades and late-life cognitive function in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936: a life-course study.

although neighbourhood may predict late-life cognitive function, studies mostly rely on measurements at a single time point, with few investigations applying a life-course approach. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the associations between neighbourhood and cognitive test scores relate to specific cognitive domains or general ability. This study explored how neighbourhood deprivation across eight decades contributed to late-life cognitive function. data were drawn from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 1,091) with cognitive function measured through 10 tests at ages 70, 73, 76, 79 and 82. Participants' residential history was gathered with 'lifegrid' questionnaires and linked to neighbourhood deprivation in childhood, young adulthood and mid-to-late adulthood. Associations were tested with latent growth curve models for levels and slopes of general (g) and domain-specific abilities (visuospatial ability, memory and processing speed), and life-course associations were explored with path analysis. higher mid-to-late adulthood neighbourhood deprivation was associated with lower age 70 levels (β = -0.113, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: -0.205, -0.021) and faster decline of g over 12years (β = -0.160, 95%CI: -0.290, -0.031). Initially apparent findings with domain-specific cognitive functions (e.g. processing speed) were due to their shared variance with g. Path analyses suggested that childhood neighbourhood disadvantage is indirectly linked to late-life cognitive function through lower education and selective residential mobility. to our knowledge, we provide the most comprehensive assessment of the life-course neighbourhood deprivation and cognitive ageing relationship. Living in advantaged areas in mid-to-late adulthood may directly contribute to better cognitive function and slower decline, whereas an advantaged childhood neighbourhood likely affects functioning through cognitive reserves.

Spaces for children's play and travel close to home: the importance of threshold spaces

ABSTRACT There is an increasing understanding of the role of the built environment on children's neighbourhood mobility and play and the importance of this for children's development. This has led to concerns over children's declining neighbourhood mobility and calls to see an increase in children's use of public space. This paper draws on findings from a research study working with 9 and 10 year olds living in inner London, England. The children participated in go-along interviews and a range of other qualitative methods, which explored how they used their neighbourhoods for getting around and play. Findings from the study demonstrate the importance of threshold spaces for children in supporting both their neighbourhood play and their wider neighbourhood travel and mobility. Threshold spaces are defined as a semi-public space that straddle the gap between the private space of the home and the wider public realm. Children's use of threshold spaces was influenced by a reduced movement function in these spaces, restricting vehicles and people passing through, and the presence of signals that it was ok to play, with girls being more sensitive to these features than boys. Threshold spaces were important as a start point for children's wider explorations of their neighbourhoods.

Geographic disadvantage and quality of employment

AbstractMany policymakers assume that children's neighbourhoods shape their career trajectories, but the facts are otherwise. Challenges: (1) Because many children in poor postcodes have disadvantaged families, modelling the causal influence of neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) requires a comprehensive set of control variables measuring family background. (2) Adults can choose where to live, so dwelling in a high SES postcode is partially a consequence of occupational success, not a cause. Hence, we must focus on childhood postcode SES. (3) Random measurement error in postcode SES can bias estimates. Data: Large, representative national samples from the International Social Science Survey/Australia. OLS and structural equation models. Correlations between a person's childhood postcode SES and their education, adult occupational status (which robustly measures job quality, social status and permanent income) and family income are all modest, around r = .15. Net of family background (fathers' occupational status, fathers' class, mothers' employment, parents' culture, ethnicity, demographics and respondent's IQ) multivariate analyses show that growing up in a low SES postcode is only a slight disadvantage, which arises entirely because children there get about half a year less education than comparable children in high SES postcodes. Otherwise, there is no statistically significant childhood postcode disadvantage in career opportunities.

Association of Area Deprivation With Primary Hypertension Diagnosis Among Youth Medicaid Recipients in Delaware

The association between degree of neighborhood deprivation and primary hypertension diagnosis in youth remains understudied. To assess the association between neighborhood measures of deprivation and primary hypertension diagnosis in youth. This cross-sectional study included 65 452 Delaware Medicaid-insured youths aged 8 to 18 years between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. Residence was geocoded by national area deprivation index (ADI). Higher area deprivation. The main outcome was primary hypertension diagnosis based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Tenth Revision codes. Data were analyzed between September 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022. A total of 65 452 youths were included in the analysis, including 64 307 (98.3%) without a hypertension diagnosis (30 491 [47%] female and 33 813 [53%] male; mean [SD] age, 12.5 (3.1) years; 12 500 [19%] Hispanic, 25 473 [40%] non-Hispanic Black, 24 565 [38%] non-Hispanic White, and 1769 [3%] other race or ethnicity; 13 029 [20%] with obesity; and 31 548 [49%] with an ADI ≥50) and 1145 (1.7%) with a diagnosis of primary hypertension (mean [SD] age, 13.3 [2.8] years; 464 [41%] female and 681 [59%] male; 271 [24%] Hispanic, 460 [40%] non-Hispanic Black, 396 [35%] non-Hispanic White, and 18 [2%] of other race or ethnicity; 705 [62%] with obesity; and 614 [54%] with an ADI ≥50). The mean (SD) duration of full Medicaid benefit coverage was 61 (16) months for those with a diagnosis of primary hypertension and 46.0 (24.3) months for those without. By multivariable logistic regression, residence within communities with ADI greater than or equal to 50 was associated with 60% greater odds of a hypertension diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% CI 1.04-2.51). Older age (OR per year, 1.16; 95%, CI, 1.14-1.18), an obesity diagnosis (OR, 5.16; 95% CI, 4.54-5.85), and longer duration of full Medicaid benefit coverage (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.03-1.04) were associated with greater odds of primary hypertension diagnosis, whereas female sex was associated with lower odds (OR, 0.68; 95%, 0.61-0.77). Model fit including a Medicaid-by-ADI interaction term was significant for the interaction and revealed slightly greater odds of hypertension diagnosis for youths with ADI less than 50 (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.03-1.04) vs ADI ≥50 (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03). Race and ethnicity were not associated with primary hypertension diagnosis. In this cross-sectional study, higher childhood neighborhood ADI, obesity, age, sex, and duration of Medicaid benefit coverage were associated with a primary hypertension diagnosis in youth. Screening algorithms and national guidelines may consider the importance of ADI when assessing for the presence and prevalence of primary hypertension in youth.

Children's autonomous mobility and their well-being

The notion of children's independent mobility is often used to help to understand how much freedom children have in their neighbourhoods, but it does not provide evidence on how autonomous and in control they are over their actions. This is important when considering the influence of children's neighbourhood mobility on their well-being, with autonomy known to be an important element of children's psychological well-being.This paper draws on findings from a research study working with 9 and 10 year olds living in inner London, England. Findings from the study highlight the importance of children's autonomous time within their neighbourhoods. They suggest that this measure is more reflective of the children's experiences of their neighbourhoods and more closely linked to their well-being than their independent mobility. Analysis highlights the importance of active travel and play within the neighbourhood, whether independent or not.

Association of Neighborhood Child Opportunity Index with presenting visual acuity in amblyopic children

To demonstrate the use of a novel measure of neighborhood quality, the Child Opportunity Index (COI), for investigating health disparities in pediatric ophthalmology. This study included children 2-12 years of age from a registry of patients diagnosed with amblyopia at an urban pediatric hospital between 2010 and 2014. Children previously treated for amblyopia were excluded. Patient demographics, residential addresses, and logMAR visual acuities were collected. The association between visual acuity at presentation and COI was examined using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for individual-level factors, including age, sex, race, ethnicity, and insurance type. This study included 1,050 amblyopic children, of whom 317 (37%) were non-White and 149 (19%) were Hispanic; 461 (44%) had public insurance. Regarding residence, 129 (12%) lived in areas of very low opportunity (COI <20); 489 (47%) in areas of very high opportunity (COI ≥80). Children residing in the lowest opportunity neighborhoods correctly identified approximately two fewer letters at presentation with their better-seeing eye compared with children from the highest opportunity neighborhoods after adjusting for individual-level factors (-0.0090 logMAR per 20 unit increase in COI; 95% CI, -0.0172 to -0.0008; P = 0.031). No difference was appreciated in the worse-seeing eye. Amblyopic children residing in communities with low neighborhood opportunity had slightly worse visual acuity in the better-seeing eye at presentation. Although statistically significant in the better-seeing eye, the two-letter difference attributable to neighborhood environment may not be clinically significant, and the impact of this disparity on treatment outcomes deserves further investigation.