A Genetically Informed Study of Neighborhoods and Health: Results From the MIDUS Twin Sample.
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ABSTRACT: Objectives
To examine whether neighborhood income and neighborhood safety concerns influence multisystem physiological risk after adjusting for genetic and environmental selection effects that may have biased previous tests of this association.Methods
We used structural equation modeling with a genetically informed sample of 686 male and female twin pairs in the Midlife in the United States Study II (2004).Results
Controlling for additive genetic and shared environmental processes that may have biased neighborhood-health links in previous examinations, higher neighborhood safety concerns were associated with less physiological risk among women but not men.Discussion
Our findings suggest a possible causal role of neighborhood features for a measure of physiological risk that is associated with the development of disease. Efforts to increase neighborhood safety, perhaps through increased street lighting or neighborhood watch programs, may improve community-level health.
SUBMITTER: Robinette JW
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7161367 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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