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A multilevel analysis of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health in late life

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  • Wight, Richard G.
  • Cummings, Janet R.
  • Miller-Martinez, Dana
  • Karlamangla, Arun S.
  • Seeman, Teresa E.
  • Aneshensel, Carol S.

Abstract

The associations between neighborhood context and various indicators of health are receiving growing empirical attention, but much of this research is regionally circumscribed or assumes similar effects across the life course. This study utilizes a U.S. national sample to investigate the association between urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health specifically among older adults. Data are from 3442 participants aged 70 years and older in the 1993 Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Study, and the 1990 U.S. Census. Our approach underscores the importance of multiple dimensions of health (self-reported physician-diagnosed cardiovascular disease [CVD], functional status, and self-rated health) as well as multiple dimensions of neighborhood disadvantage, which are conceptualized as environmental hazards that may lead to a physiologically consequential stress response. We find that individual-level factors attenuate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and both CVD and functional status, but not self-rated health. Net of covariates, high neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is significantly associated with reporting poor health. In late life, neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is more consequential to subjective appraisals of health than diagnosed CVD or functional limitations.

Suggested Citation

  • Wight, Richard G. & Cummings, Janet R. & Miller-Martinez, Dana & Karlamangla, Arun S. & Seeman, Teresa E. & Aneshensel, Carol S., 2008. "A multilevel analysis of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health in late life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 862-872, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:66:y:2008:i:4:p:862-872
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Sadler, Richard C. & Wojciechowski, Thomas W. & Buchalski, Zachary & Smart, Mieka & Mulheron, Megan & Todem, David, 2022. "Validating a geospatial healthfulness index with self-reported chronic disease and health outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    3. Padmaja Ayyagari & Fred Ullrich & Theodore K Malmstrom & Elena M Andresen & Mario Schootman & J Philip Miller & Douglas K Miller & Fredric D Wolinsky, 2012. "Self-Rated Health Trajectories in the African American Health Cohort," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(12), pages 1-9, December.
    4. DUJARDIN, Claire & lorant, VINCENT & THOMAS, Isabelle, 2013. "Self-assessed health of elderly people in Brussels: does the built environment matter?," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2013048, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    5. Mathieu Philibert & Robert Pampalon & Mark Daniel, 2015. "Conceptual and Operational Considerations in Identifying Socioenvironmental Factors Associated with Disability among Community-Dwelling Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, April.
    6. Cláudia Jardim Santos & Inês Paciência & Ana Isabel Ribeiro, 2022. "Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Processes and Dynamics and Healthy Ageing: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-26, May.
    7. Grafova, Irina B. & Freedman, Vicki A. & Lurie, Nicole & Kumar, Rizie & Rogowski, Jeannette, 2014. "The difference-in-difference method: Assessing the selection bias in the effects of neighborhood environment on health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 20-33.
    8. Moses Wong & Ruby Yu & Jean Woo, 2017. "Effects of Perceived Neighbourhood Environments on Self-Rated Health among Community-Dwelling Older Chinese," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, June.
    9. Megan Teychenne & Kylie Ball & Jo Salmon, 2012. "Educational Inequalities in Women’s Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Perceived Neighbourhood Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-13, November.
    10. Zachary Zimmer & Luoman Bao & Nanette L. Mayol & Feinian Chen & Tita Lorna L. Perez & Paulita L. Duazo, 2017. "Functional limitation trajectories and their determinants among women in the Philippines," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(30), pages 863-892.
    11. Zimmer, Zachary & Wen, Ming & Kaneda, Toshiko, 2010. "A multi-level analysis of urban/rural and socioeconomic differences in functional health status transition among older Chinese," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 559-567, August.

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