Dataset Information

Redefining neighborhoods using common destinations: social characteristics of activity spaces and home census tracts compared.

ABSTRACT: Research on neighborhood effects has focused largely on residential neighborhoods, but people are exposed to many other places in the course of their daily lives-at school, at work, when shopping, and so on. Thus, studies of residential neighborhoods consider only a subset of the social-spatial environment affecting individuals. In this article, we examine the characteristics of adults' "activity spaces"-spaces defined by locations that individuals visit regularly-in Los Angeles County, California. Using geographic information system (GIS) methods, we define activity spaces in two ways and estimate their socioeconomic characteristics. Our research has two goals. First, we determine whether residential neighborhoods represent the social conditions to which adults are exposed in the course of their regular activities. Second, we evaluate whether particular groups are exposed to a broader or narrower range of social contexts in the course of their daily activities. We find that activity spaces are substantially more heterogeneous in terms of key social characteristics, compared to residential neighborhoods. However, the characteristics of both home neighborhoods and activity spaces are closely associated with individual characteristics. Our results suggest that most people experience substantial segregation across the range of spaces in their daily lives, not just at home.

SUBMITTER: Jones M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4048777 | biostudies-other | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Redefining neighborhoods using common destinations: social characteristics of activity spaces and home census tracts compared.

Jones Malia M Pebley Anne R AR

Demography 20140601 3

Research on neighborhood effects has focused largely on residential neighborhoods, but people are exposed to many other places in the course of their daily lives-at school, at work, when shopping, and so on. Thus, studies of residential neighborhoods consider only a subset of the social-spatial environment affecting individuals. In this article, we examine the characteristics of adults' "activity spaces"-spaces defined by locations that individuals visit regularly-in Los Angeles County, Californ ...[more]

PMID: 24719273

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveExamine the association between historic residential redlining and present-day racial/ethnic composition of neighborhoods, racial/ethnic differences in social determinant of health domains, and risk of home evictions and food insecurity.Research design and methodsWe examined data on 12,334 (for eviction sample), and 8996 (for food insecurity sample), census tracts in 213 counties across 37 states in the USA with data on exposure to historic redlining. First, we examined relationships between Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining grades (A="Best", B="Still Desirable", C="Definitely Declining", D="Hazardous") and present-day racial/ethnic composition and racial/ethnic differences in social determinant of health domains of neighborhoods. Second, we examined whether historic redlining is associated with present-day home eviction rates (measured across eviction filings rates, and eviction judgment rates for 12,334 census tracts in 2018) and food insecurity (measured across low supermarket access, low supermarket access and income, low supermarket access and low car ownership for 8996 census tracts in 2019). Multivariable regression models were adjusted for census tract population, urban/rural designation, and county level fixed effects.ResultsRelative to areas with a historic HOLC grading of "A (Best)", areas with a "D (Hazardous)" grading had a 2.59 (95%CI=1.99-3.19; p-value<0.01) higher rate of eviction filings, and a 1.03 (95%CI=0.80-1.27; p-value<0.01) higher rate of eviction judgments. Compared to areas with a historic HOLC grading of "A (Best)", areas rated with a "D (Hazardous)" had a 16.20 (95%CI=15.02-17.79; p-value<0.01) higher rate of food insecurity based on supermarket access and income, and a 6.15 (95%CI =5.53-6.76; p-value<0.01) higher rate of food insecurity based on supermarket access and car ownership.ConclusionsHistoric residential redlining is significantly associated with present-day home evictions and food insecurity, highlighting persistent associations between structural racism and present-day social determinants of health.

Project description:BackgroundThe question of whether neighborhood environment contributes directly to the development of obesity and diabetes remains unresolved. The study reported on here uses data from a social experiment to assess the association of randomly assigned variation in neighborhood conditions with obesity and diabetes.MethodsFrom 1994 through 1998, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) randomly assigned 4498 women with children living in public housing in high-poverty urban census tracts (in which ≥40% of residents had incomes below the federal poverty threshold) to one of three groups: 1788 were assigned to receive housing vouchers, which were redeemable only if they moved to a low-poverty census tract (where <10% of residents were poor), and counseling on moving; 1312 were assigned to receive unrestricted, traditional vouchers, with no special counseling on moving; and 1398 were assigned to a control group that was offered neither of these opportunities. From 2008 through 2010, as part of a long-term follow-up survey, we measured data indicating health outcomes, including height, weight, and level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)).ResultsAs part of our long-term survey, we obtained data on body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) for 84.2% of participants and data on glycated hemoglobin level for 71.3% of participants. Response rates were similar across randomized groups. The prevalences of a BMI of 35 or more, a BMI of 40 or more, and a glycated hemoglobin level of 6.5% or more were lower in the group receiving the low-poverty vouchers than in the control group, with an absolute difference of 4.61 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], -8.54 to -0.69), 3.38 percentage points (95% CI, -6.39 to -0.36), and 4.31 percentage points (95% CI, -7.82 to -0.80), respectively. The differences between the group receiving traditional vouchers and the control group were not significant.ConclusionsThe opportunity to move from a neighborhood with a high level of poverty to one with a lower level of poverty was associated with modest but potentially important reductions in the prevalence of extreme obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear but warrant further investigation, given their potential to guide the design of community-level interventions intended to improve health. (Funded by HUD and others.).

Project description:Backgroundthe incidence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID19) is elevated in areas with heightened socioeconomic vulnerability. Early reports from US hospitals also implicated social disadvantage and chronic disease history as COVID19 mortality risk factors. However, the relationship between race and COVID19 mortality remains unclear.Methodswe examined in-hospital COVID19 mortality risk factors in a multi-hospital tertiary health care system that serves greater Detroit, Michigan, a predominantly African American city with high rates of poverty and chronic disease. Consecutive adult patients who presented to emergency departments and tested positive for COVID19 from 3/11/2020 through 4/18/2020 were included. Using log-binomial regression, we assessed the relationship between in-hospital mortality and residence in census tracts that were flagged for extreme socioeconomic vulnerability, patient-level demographics, and clinical comorbidities.Findingsa total of 1,015 adults tested positive for COVID19 during the study period; 80% identified as Black people, 52% were male and 53% were ≥ 65 years of age. The median body mass index was 30•4 and the median Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 4. Patients from census tracts that were flagged for vulnerability related to socioeconomic status had a higher mortality rate than their peers who resided in less vulnerable census tracts (β 0.26, standard error (SE) 0.11, degrees of freedom (df) 378, t-value (t) 2.27, exp(β) 1.29, p-value 0.02). Adjustment for age category, Black race, sex and/or the Charlson Comorbidity Index score category reduced the magnitude of association by less than 10% [exp(β) 1.29 vs. 1.21]. Black race [p = 0.38] and sex [p = 0.62] were not associated with mortality in this sample.Interpretationpeople who lived in areas flagged for extreme socioeconomic vulnerability had elevated mortality risk in our predominantly African-American cohort of COVID19 patients who were able to seek hospital care during the so-called 'first wave' of the pandemic. By contrast, Black race was not associated with mortality in our sample.

Dataset Information

Redefining neighborhoods using common destinations: social characteristics of activity spaces and home census tracts compared.

Publications

Redefining neighborhoods using common destinations: social characteristics of activity spaces and home census tracts compared.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets