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US-based indices of area-level deprivation: Results from HealthCare for Communities

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  • Eibner, Christine
  • Sturm, Roland

Abstract

In this analysis we create census-tract level indices of area deprivation for the US that parallel similar indices developed in Britain, and we determine whether these indices are related to physical and mental health outcomes. Data for the indices come from the 2000 Census Summary File Tapes and the 2001 Zip Code Business Patterns Files. These indices are then linked by census tract to cross-sectional data from the HealthCare for Communities (HCC) study, and equations are estimated using multi-level models with census-tract random effects. We find that area-level deprivation predicts poor mental and physical health outcomes, but different components of deprivation have different effects. When we measure deprivation using three factor scores that emerged from our analysis (rather than combining all measures of deprivation into a single index), we find that access to services has a more pronounced association with physical health, whereas racial composition and local language barriers are more strongly correlated with mental health. These findings suggest that grouping all variables into a single index may mask important heterogeneity in the ways in which area characteristics affect health outcomes.

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  • Eibner, Christine & Sturm, Roland, 2006. "US-based indices of area-level deprivation: Results from HealthCare for Communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 348-359, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:2:p:348-359
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Deaton, Angus & Lubotsky, Darren, 2003. "Mortality, inequality and race in American cities and states," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1139-1153, March.
    2. Boyle, Paul & Norman, Paul & Rees, Philip, 2004. "Changing places. Do changes in the relative deprivation of areas influence limiting long-term illness and mortality among non-migrant people living in non-deprived households?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(12), pages 2459-2471, June.
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    1. Messer, Lynne C. & Vinikoor, Lisa C. & Laraia, Barbara A. & Kaufman, Jay S. & Eyster, Janet & Holzman, Claudia & Culhane, Jennifer & Elo, Irma & Burke, Jessica G. & O'Campo, Patricia, 2008. "Socioeconomic domains and associations with preterm birth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1247-1257, October.
    2. Peter Congdon, 2011. "The Spatial Pattern of Suicide in the US in Relation to Deprivation, Fragmentation and Rurality," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(10), pages 2101-2122, August.
    3. Seaman, Rosie & Riffe, Tim & Leyland, Alastair H. & Popham, Frank & van Raalte, Alyson, 2019. "The increasing lifespan variation gradient by area-level deprivation: A decomposition analysis of Scotland 1981–2011," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 147-157.
    4. Weden, Margaret M. & Carpiano, Richard M. & Robert, Stephanie A., 2008. "Subjective and objective neighborhood characteristics and adult health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1256-1270, March.
    5. Ophélie Merville & Ludivine Launay & Olivier Dejardin & Quentin Rollet & Joséphine Bryère & Élodie Guillaume & Guy Launoy, 2022. "Can an Ecological Index of Deprivation Be Used at the Country Level? The Case of the French Version of the European Deprivation Index (F-EDI)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    6. Debrand, Thierry & Pierre, Aurélie & Allonier, Caroline & Lucas-Gabrielli, Véronique, 2012. "Critical urban areas, deprived areas and neighbourhood effects on health in France," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 92-101.
    7. Havard, Sabrina & Deguen, Séverine & Bodin, Julie & Louis, Karine & Laurent, Olivier & Bard, Denis, 2008. "A small-area index of socioeconomic deprivation to capture health inequalities in France," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2007-2016, December.
    8. Carpiano, Richard M. & Lloyd, Jennifer E.V. & Hertzman, Clyde, 2009. "Concentrated affluence, concentrated disadvantage, and children's readiness for school: A population-based, multi-level investigation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 420-432, August.
    9. Lumbwe Chola & Olufunke Alaba, 2013. "Association of Neighbourhood and Individual Social Capital, Neighbourhood Economic Deprivation and Self-Rated Health in South Africa – a Multi-Level Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-9, July.

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