Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics Research Articles

Self-assessed health status and neighborhood context

ABSTRACTIn recent years, there has been growing interest in the relationship between the characteristics of neighborhoods and the health and well-being of residents. The focus on neighborhood as a health determinant is based on the hypothesis that residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood can negatively influence health outcomes beyond the effect of individual characteristics. In this article, we examine three possible ways of measuring neighborhood socio-economic status, and how they each impact on self-reported health status beyond the effect contributed by individual-level factors. Using individual-level data from the Household Income and Labor Dynamics Australia survey combined with neighborhood-level (suburb) data, we tested the proposition that how one measures neighborhood socio-economic characteristics may provide an important new insight into understanding the links between individual-level outcomes and neighborhood-level characteristics. The findings from the analysis illustrate that although individual-level factors may be important to understanding health outcomes, how one accounts for neighborhood-level socio-economic status may be equally important. The findings suggest that in developing place-based health programs, policy makers need to account for the complex interactions between individual drivers and the potential complexities of accounting for neighborhood socio-economic status.

Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and statin medication in patients with myocardial infarction: a Swedish nationwide follow-up study

BackgroundCoronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) are associated with neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES). Statins are important drugs for secondary prevention of MI. However, no study has determined whether neighborhood-level SES is associated with statin medication in MI patients. We aimed to determine whether there is a difference in statin medication rate in MI patients across different levels of neighborhood SES.MethodsAll patients in Sweden, diagnosed with incident MI from January 1st, 2000 until December 31st 2010, were followed (n = 116,840). Of these, 89.7 % received statin medication. Data were analyzed by multilevel logistic regression, with individual-level characteristics (age, marital status, family income, educational attainment, country of origin, urban/rural status and comorbidities/chronic conditions related to MI) as covariates.ResultsLow neighborhood-level SES was significantly associated with low statin medication rate (Odds Ratio 0.80). In the full model, which took into account individual-level socioeconomic characteristics and MI comorbidities, the odds no longer remained significant.ConclusionsIndividual-level approaches may be most important in health care policies regarding statin medication in MI patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12872-016-0319-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

What influences the pattern of pollutant releases? An investigation of firms’ siting and households’ sorting decisions in Ontario, Canada

The relationship between the pattern of pollutant releases and neighborhood characteristics has been in the center of environmental justice debates for the last decades. One part of the discourse revolves around the question if the siting decision of polluting firms or the sorting decision of households is the explanatory factor for the pattern of pollutant releases. The aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion by investigating the potential correlation between polluting facilities and socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods in Ontario, Canada, using data from the Canadian census and National Pollutant Release Inventory. The analysis shows that when the results are considered from the perspectives of the siting decision of firms and sorting decision of households’ hypotheses, the results weigh in favor of the sorting decision of households.

ACCOUNTING FOR LOCAL SPATIAL HETEROGENEITIES IN HOUSING MARKET STUDIES

ABSTRACTWe adopt a novel method to deal with omitted spatial heterogeneities in hedonic house price analysis. A Gaussian variant of the conditional autoregressive (CAR) model is used to study the impact of spatial effects. In a general linear modeling framework, we include zone‐specific random effects that are allowed to interact spatially with neighboring zones. The results demonstrate that this estimator accounts for missing spatial information, producing more reliable results on estimated spatially related coefficients. The CAR model is benchmarked against a fixed effects model. Socioeconomic neighborhood characteristics are found to have only modest impact on spatial variation in housing prices.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Utilization of ADHD Medication in Schoolchildren: A Population Multilevel Study in Stockholm County

Objective: To examine the effects of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnic composition on the utilization of ADHD medication in schoolchildren after accounting for individual- and family-level characteristics. Method: A cohort of all schoolchildren living in Stockholm County was prospectively followed for new prescriptions of ADHD medication (N = 276,955). Three-level logistic regression models were used with individual/family characteristics (e.g., immigrant background) at the first level and small area market statistics (SAMS) and municipality characteristics (i.e., socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnic composition) at the second and third level. Results: SAMS socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with increased utilization of ADHD medication. The utilization of ADHD medication was lower among immigrant children as compared with natives, and their odds of not utilizing medication increased as the degree of concentration of foreign-born increased. Conclusion: These results suggest that interventions at the neighborhood level may offer an additional route for the prevention of the disorder and/or alleviation of its consequences.

Neighborhood-Level Interventions to Improve Childhood Opportunity and Lift Children Out of Poverty

Population health is associated with the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods. There is considerable scientific and policy interest in community-level interventions to alleviate child poverty. Intergenerational poverty is associated with inequitable access to opportunities. Improving opportunity structures within neighborhoods may contribute to improved child health and development. Neighborhood-level efforts to alleviate poverty for all children require alignment of cross-sector efforts, community engagement, and multifactorial approaches that consider the role of people as well as place. We highlight several accessible tools and strategies that health practitioners can engage to improve regional and local systems that influence child opportunity. The Child Opportunity Index is a population-level surveillance tool to describe community-level resources and inequities in US metropolitan areas. The case studies reviewed outline strategies for creating higher opportunity neighborhoods for pediatricians interested in working across sectors to address the impact of neighborhood opportunity on child health and well-being.

Two-Stage Determinants of the Organic Food Retailing Landscape: The Case of Manhattan, New York

ABSTRACTRetail sales of organic food products have been increasing faster than any other category of food and have penetrated mainstream retail grocery outlets. The majority of the literature on organic markets explores the socioeconomic characteristics of consumers, linking these traits to the probability of buying organic food, and it suggests that access to organic food is an important but overlooked factor in such studies. More recently, research focusing on food retailer marketing strategies for organic food finds that traditional strategies such as price promotions are largely unsuccessful with increasing sales for the organic food consumer. This article focuses on the retailer decision to offer organic food for sale. We model the decision as a two-stage process, where the retailer’s first decision is whether to sell organic food, and the second decision determines how many different organic products to offer for sale. In doing so, by using data collected in stores, we assess the organic food retail landscape in Manhattan, NY. We find that the decision to offer organic food for sale depends on the neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, and the amount of organic food offered for sale depends on the size of the store.

An Assessment of Association between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Infant Mortality in High Focus States in India

Neighbourhood characteristics influence infant mortality above and beyond individual/household factors. In India, there are very few studies discussing the effects of neighbourhood characteristics on infant mortality. This study examined the effect of neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics on infant mortality using data from the India’s Third District Level Household Survey conducted in 2007-2008. Multilevel analyses applied on the representative sample of 168,625 nested within 14,193 communities using MCMC procedure. Results established that place of residence, neighbourhood socio-economic factors as important determinants of infant mortality. Overall, being born in affluent (OR: 0.79, p < 0.01), more educated (OR: 0.86, p < 0.01) and socially disadvantaged caste (OR: 0.83, p < 0.01) neighbourhood was associated with the significant reduction in hazards of infant death. The finding of this study suggests that effort should be made to reduce infant mortality in these high focus states by including policies which aim at improving infant survival in the neighbourhood that is economically and socially deprived.

Cross-sectional study of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and risk of adhd among a nationally-representative sample of children

Objectives: The development and severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to a number of psychosocial risk factors. Research has shown that the amount of social capital in a community influences the physical and mental health of community members. We assessed the independent role of perceived neighborhood context, including physical and socioeconomic characteristics, and collective efficacy, a form of social capital, on ADHD prevalence. Methods: Cross-sectional study utilizing the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative dataset. The population of interest was children between the ages of four and seventeen living in randomly selected households. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the association between indices of perceived neighborhood socioeconomic conditions, built environment, and collective efficacy (study exposures) on risk of ADHD (outcome), controlling for pertinent individual and family risk factors.Results: 9.8 percent of children in the US (ages 4‐17) had ADHD as reported by their caregiver. In multivariate analysis, white race, male gender, increased geographic mobility, exposure to household smoke, exposure to &gt; 2 hours/day TV, and maternal mental illness increased the odds of ADHD, while a two‐parent household reduced the odds. The highest level of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy was associated with reduced risk of ADHD compared to lower levels of perceived collective efficacy (adjusted OR: 0.785; 95% CI: 0.650-0.946; p=.011). Perceived neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and built environment were not associated with ADHD risk.Results: Nine percent of children in the US (ages 4-17 ) had ADHD as reported by their caregiver. Univariately, all 3 neighborhood characteristics were associated with risk of ADHD (p-value =.01, .04, and .0002 for socioeconomic conditions, built environment, and collective efficacy, respectively). After accounting for well-established risk factors for ADHD, perceived neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and built environment were no longer associated with ADHD, while collective efficacy remained significant (p=.0002). Lower level of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy was associated with increased risk of ADHD (OR: 1.7; 95\% CI: 1.3-2.2, comparing the lowest with the highest level).Conclusions: Our study suggests that perceived neighborhood collective efficacy may buffer the impact of individual-and family-level risk factors for ADHD in children.

The Racial Gap in Childhood Blood Lead Levels Related to Socioeconomic Position of Residence in Metropolitan Detroit

Childhood lead poisoning in the United States remains a persistent, prevalent environmental public health problem, especially for children living in central-city neighborhoods. These neighborhoods typically are racially segregated, are in proximity to current and/or legacy lead emission sources, consist of older housing, and contain disproportionately African American or black children of low-income families. This research had two aims: (1) to determine whether average blood lead levels (BLLs) in children in the Detroit metropolitan area are related to the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods where they live and (2) to determine the estimated effect residential differences in the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods have on average BLLs in non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white children. Data on pediatric BLLs were obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health, and racial and socioeconomic data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2006–2010). The modified Darden-Kamel Composite Socioeconomic Index, multiple regression, and difference-of-means tests were used to determine the effect residential socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods have on average BLLs. Black segregated neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic characteristics were predictors of higher average BLLs in the children who lived there. When black and white children resided in neighborhoods of similar socioeconomic characteristics, the black-white gap in BLLs lessened. Significantly, after stratifying black and white children by age, living in the same neighborhoods of the lowest socioeconomic characteristics negated the black-white racial gap in BLLs entirely, but increasing levels of socioeconomic characteristics exacerbated the divide.

Associations of Alcohol Availability and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics With Drinking: Cross-Sectional Results From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background: Living in neighborhoods with a high density of alcohol outlets and socioeconomic disadvantage may increase residents’ alcohol use. Few researchers have studied these exposures in relation to multiple types of alcohol use, including beverage-specific consumption, and how individual demographic factors influence these relationships. Objective: To examine the relationships of alcohol outlet density and neighborhood disadvantage with alcohol consumption, and to investigate differences in these associations by race/ethnicity and income. Methods: Using cross-sectional data (N = 5,873) from the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis in 2002, we examine associations of residential alcohol outlet density and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage with current, total weekly and heaviest daily alcohol use in gender-specific regression models, as well as moderation by race/ethnicity and income. Results: Drinking men living near high densities of alcohol outlets had 23%–29% more weekly alcohol use than men in low density areas. Among women who drank, those living near a moderate density of alcohol outlets consumed approximately 40% less liquor each week than those in low density areas, but higher outlet densities were associated with more wine consumption (35%–49%). Living in highly or moderately disadvantaged neighborhoods was associated with a lower probability of being a current drinker, but with higher rates of weekly beer consumption. Income moderated the relationship between neighborhood context and weekly alcohol use. Conclusions/Importance: Neighborhood disadvantage and alcohol outlet density may influence alcohol use with effects varying by gender and income. Results from this research may help target interventions and policy to groups most at risk for greater weekly consumption.

Longitudinal associations of neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and alcohol availability on drinking: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and alcohol availability may affect alcohol consumption, but adequate longitudinal research to support these hypotheses does not exist. We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) (N = 6163) to examine associations of changes in neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol outlet density, with current, weekly, and heavy daily alcohol consumption in hybrid effects models. We also examined whether these associations were moderated by gender, race/ethnicity, and income. Increases in neighborhood SES were associated with decreases in the probability of current alcohol use after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, individual SES, marital status and time since baseline [probability ratio (PR) per SD increase in neighborhood SES = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.96.0.99)]. Increases in liquor store densities were associated with increases in weekly alcohol consumption [ratio of weekly drinks per SD increase in outlet density = 1.07, 95% CI (1.01.1.05) for men, PR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.01.1.21) for women]. Relationships between current alcohol use and neighborhood SES and between weekly beer consumption and neighborhood SES were generally stronger among those with higher incomes. Neighborhood socioeconomic context and the availability of alcohol may be important for understanding patterns of alcohol use over time, and for targeting interventions and policies to reduce harmful alcohol use.

School Vouchers and Student Neighborhoods: Evidence from the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

In this paper we explore the relationship between students’ residential location and participation in Milwaukee’s large, widely available private school voucher program. We are interested in one overarching question: do voucher schools disproportionately draw students from better public schools and city neighborhoods, or do they draw students most in need of alternative options? We consider whether the public schools attended by students in neighborhoods contributing large numbers of students to the voucher program are more or less effective than those attended by students in neighborhoods with fewer voucher students. We also consider whether voucher students are located in city neighborhoods that directly contribute more or less to student outcomes. We find consistent evidence that neighborhoods whose students attend less effective public schools and neighborhoods with lower academic outcomes contribute disproportionately to the voucher program. This evidence is quite consistent with patterns apparent on Census-based observational measures of neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics: higher rates of voucher use are found in the least advantaged neighborhoods. We also find, however, that disadvantaged students in general are those most likely to leave the voucher program after enrolling.

Measuring a neighborhood affluence-deprivation continuum in urban settings: Descriptive findings from four US cities

In the United States (US), the area-based measure of neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics used in health research varies considerably from one study to another. However, it is unclear whether different area-based measures capture the same or differen

Neighborhood Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in the Food and Alcohol Environment: Are There Differences by Commercial Data Sources?

This study examined neighborhood racial and socioeconomic disparities and the density of food and alcohol establishments. We also examined whether these disparities differed by data source. This study included commercial data for 2003 and 2009 from InfoUSA and Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) in 416 census tracts in Allegheny County, PA. Food and alcohol establishment densities were calculated by using area and population data from the 2000 US census. Differences between InfoUSA and D&B of food and alcohol densities across neighborhood racial and socioeconomic characteristics were tested using correlations and two-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were differences by data source in the association between neighborhood racial and socioeconomic characteristics and food/alcohol establishment density. There was a positive correlation between grocery store/supermarket density and percentage black, poverty, and percentage without a car among D&B data but not in InfoUSA. Alcohol outlet density (AOD) increased as neighborhood poverty increased for both data sources, but the mean difference in AOD between InfoUSA and D&B was highest among neighborhoods with 25-50 % poverty (Cohen's d -0.49, p < 0.001) compared to neighborhoods with lower or higher poverty (2003 data). Mean grocery store density increased as percentage poverty increased, but only among D&B (2009 data). Differences in commercial data in the location and numeration of food and alcohol establishments are associated with neighborhood racial and socioeconomic characteristics and may introduce biases concerning neighborhood food and alcohol environments, racial and socioeconomic disparities, and health.

Interactive and independent associations between the socioeconomic and objective built environment on the neighbourhood level and individual health: a systematic review of multilevel studies.

BackgroundThe research question how contextual factors of neighbourhood environments influence individual health has gained increasing attention in public health research. Both socioeconomic neighbourhood characteristics and factors of the built environment play an important role for health and health-related behaviours. However, their reciprocal relationships have not been systematically reviewed so far. This systematic review aims to identify studies applying a multilevel modelling approach which consider both neighbourhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and factors of the objective built environment simultaneously in order to disentangle their independent and interactive effects on individual health.MethodsThe three databases PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were systematically searched with terms for title and abstract screening. Grey literature was not included. Observational studies from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Western European countries were considered which analysed simultaneously factors of neighbourhood SEP and the objective built environment with a multilevel modelling approach. Adjustment for individual SEP was a further inclusion criterion.ResultsThirty-three studies were included in qualitative synthesis. Twenty-two studies showed an independent association between characteristics of neighbourhood SEP or the built environment and individual health outcomes or health-related behaviours. Twenty-one studies found cross-level or within-level interactions either between neighbourhood SEP and the built environment, or between neighbourhood SEP or the built environment and individual characteristics, such as sex, individual SEP or ethnicity. Due to the large variation of study design and heterogeneous reporting of results the identification of consistent findings was problematic and made quantitative analysis not possible.ConclusionsThere is a need for studies considering multiple neighbourhood dimensions and applying multilevel modelling in order to clarify their causal relationship towards individual health. Especially, more studies using comparable characteristics of neighbourhood SEP and the objective built environment and analysing interactive effects are necessary to disentangle health impacts and identify vulnerable neighbourhoods and population groups.

Neighborhood socio-economic context and emergency department visits for dental care in a U.S. Midwestern metropolis

ObjectiveThis study was to examine the association between emergency department (ED) visits for dental complaints and neighborhood socio-economic contexts of patients in a U.S. Midwestern metropolis. Study designA retrospective study. MethodsDeidentified data of ED visits for the period 2001–2010 from all facilities serving Kansas City, Missouri and 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates data were used to determine odds of visit by neighborhood socio-economic characteristics at the ZIP code level. ED visits with diagnoses of International Classification of Disease 9th Revision codes related to toothache or tooth injury were included. ZIP code characteristics included percent of non-white population, median family income, percent of population 25 years and older with at least a high school degree, and percent of population with a language other than English spoken at home. Each ZIP code characteristic was divided into quartiles. Chi-square tests and two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were conducted. In the HLM, the outcome variable was whether to have an ED visit for dental complaints (yes/no), the first-level variables were characteristics of individual ED visits, and the second-level variables were ZIP code characteristics. ResultsThe study population made 1,786,939 ED visits, of which 35,136 (1.9%) were for dental complaints. Among the patients making ED visits for dental complaints, 54.8% were female, 51.9% were younger adults aged 19–35 years, 48.7% were non-Hispanic black, and 35.5% used self-pay as the source of payment. After controlling the first-level variables, the HLM showed that the risk of ED visits for dental complaints significantly increased for individuals residing in ZIP Code Tabulation Areas with lower median family income, or a higher proportion of the population with a language rather than English spoken at home. ConclusionsAmong socio-economic characteristics examined, median family income and percent of population with a language other than English spoken at home are important indicators of ED visits for dental complaints.

Associations of Family and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics with Longitudinal Adiposity Patterns in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescent Girls

Although many studies have examined the relationship of adiposity with neighborhood socioeconomic context in adults, few studies have investigated this relationship during adolescence. Using 10-year annual measurements of body mass index, expressed as z-scores (BMIz), obtained from 775 black and white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of girls from pre- to postadolescence, we used multilevel modeling to investigate whether family socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics (measured by census-tract median family income) explain variation in BMIz trajectory parameters. Analyses controlled for pubertal maturation. We found that lower SES was associated with higher overall levels of BMIz for both white and black girls. Additionally, lower-SES black girls had a more sustained increase in BMIz during early adolescence and reached a higher peak compared to higher-SES black girls and to white girls. Neighborhood income was associated with BMIz trajectory for black girls only. Unexpectedly, among black girls, living in higher-income neighborhoods was associated with higher overall levels of BMIz, controlling for SES. Our findings suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics may affect adolescent BMIz trajectories differently in different racial/ethnic groups.

Attitudes Toward Education As Influenced by Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics: An Application of Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling

This study explains neighborhood differences in people's attitudes toward education by utilizing nationally representative data from Japan. While previous studies have shown that individuals' socioeconomic backgrounds are related to their attitudes toward education, no study in Japan has addressed whether neighborhood differences in socioeconomic characteristics influence these attitudes. Therefore, this study aims to clarify whether a neighborhood socioeconomic factor (percentage of college graduates) differentiates people's attitudes toward education by employing multilevel structural equation modeling techniques. RESULTS indicate some neighborhood differences in individuals' attitudes toward education; the percentage of college graduates in each neighborhood is associated with between-neighborhood differences. In other words, individuals living in a neighborhood with a higher percentage of college graduates have more positive attitudes toward education. Language: ja

Abstract B72: Timely breast cancer diagnostic resolution: Effects of individual and neighborhood characteristics

Abstract Background: Disparities occur throughout the breast cancer continuum. African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, which results in poorer outcomes. In fact, despite lower incidence, the mortality rates are higher among black women. While timely follow-up of abnormal breast cancer diagnostic test results could lead to early diagnosis and better treatment outcomes, a myriad of factors may influence timely diagnostic resolution, even with patient navigation in place. Individual and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics affect access to care, quality, and timeliness of care, which consequently affect health outcomes. In this study, we focus on the effects of neighborhood racial composition and poverty on timeliness of diagnostic test in African American women living in relatively poor neighborhoods in Chicago, IL. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of individual and neighborhood characteristics on timely resolution of breast cancer diagnostic tests among African American women who received breast cancer screening and diagnostic tests from three community hospitals in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Chicago. Methods: The analysis utilized a total of 405 African American women who participated in the Patient Navigation in Medically Underserved Areas Project in Chicago. Participating women were recruited from three hospitals. We created an indicator variable for timely diagnostic resolution (completion of follow-up tests within 60 days). We geo-coded participants' home addresses, and calculated distance from home to clinic in miles. We added census tract level data from the American Community Survey 2005-2009, including racial composition and % poverty. In addition, we used Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation (affluent; MUA designated poor; MUA undesignated poor). Individual characteristics were: age, education, distance to clinic, marital status, and health care distrust. We used Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to perform two-level models explaining diagnostic resolution timeliness. Results: The average age of participants was 60 years old. Over 92% completed high school education and 81% lived in MUA designated and undesignated but poor areas (vs. 19% living in affluent areas that are not eligible for MUA). On average, women traveled 5.5 miles to clinics. The mean % whites and % poverty were respectively 11% and 32%, respectively, which differed from overall % whites (32%) and % poverty in Chicago (21%). Women living in areas with a higher % of white residents were more likely to complete diagnostic tests within 60 days, controlling for all other variables. On the other hand, women living in areas with a higher % of African American residents were less likely to have timely diagnostic resolution, controlling for % poverty and all other individual level characteristics. Neighborhood poverty level was not significantly associated with diagnostic test completion. Conclusions: Even though all participants were African American women, living in neighborhoods with a higher proportion of whites was associated with timely diagnostic test resolution. Ethnic minority women seem to benefit from living in more racially integrated neighborhood environment, regardless of the level of poverty or MUA designation. While MUA designation and poverty are known to affect access to care, which is expected to influence timeliness of diagnostic test, racial composition of neighborhoods was shown to have a significant independent effect on timeliness of diagnostic test. The mechanisms of racial residential segregation on timeliness of diagnostic tests need to be further evaluated. Citation Format: Seijeoung Kim, Yamile Molina, Nerida Berriors, Elizabeth Calhoun. Timely breast cancer diagnostic resolution: Effects of individual and neighborhood characteristics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B72. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-B72