A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the association of neighborhood ethnic‐racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems in the U.S.

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence suggesting a link between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems in the U.S. is mixed, with some studies documenting negative and others positive associations. This work raises important questions about promoting and inhibiting efects of neighborhood environments characterized by high concentrations of ethnic-racial minority groups, including Asian Americans, Blacks or African Americans, and Latinos. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine 1) the magnitude, direction, and variability of the association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems, and 2) whether these associations varied by putative moderators. Methods: We conducted a systematic search in PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed as well as searching reference lists and relying on expert knowledge (285 initial records). We coded the records for theoretical and design elements. Results: We included 40 efect sizes from 17 records (24% unpublished) with N = 11,858. The average association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescent behaviour problems was not signiicantly diferent from zero (r = −0.001, 95% CI -0.048, 0.046, p = .964, τ 2 = 0.006); there was a large percentage of systematic heterogeneity (I 2 = 77.1%), which was not explained by putative moderators. Conclusions: There is substantial unexplained systematic heterogeneity in the association between neighborhood ethnic-racial concentrations and adolescents' behaviour problems. There is heavy reliance on a small number of parent datasets in research on this topic, alongside critical reporting omissions. We ofer recommendations to guide future work, in hopes of supporting culturally and developmentally informed policies and programs capable of addressing residential segregation.

Meta‐analytic approaches to understanding adolescent development: Contributions of the special issue

“…Specifically, additional studies on adolescent development are needed from non‐western countries. We also applaud White, Pasco, Korous, & Causadias, 2020 discussion of the need for future research on sub‐group ethnic/racial differences. The articles in this special issue also highlight the need for multiple‐informant research methods.…”

“…Moreover, these effects were more pronounced in younger adolescents compared to older adolescents. Within a similar moderation framework, White, Pasco, Korous, & Causadias (2020) found that the effect of neighborhood racial‐ethnic concentration on adolescent behavior problems was, on average, zero. Moreover, the substantial variability in effect sizes across studies was not explained by study characteristics or neighborhood measure.…”

“…As can be seen by the diverse approaches used in articles in this special issue, researchers have many options available for conducting meta‐analyses (e.g., multivariate meta‐analysis, network meta‐analysis, as discussed by Thompson & Semma, 2020) and open‐source, user‐friendly software is increasingly available. In addition, there are a variety of techniques to examine the associations between constructs across studies, such as meta‐regression (Vannucci, Simpson, Gagnon, & Ohannessian, 2020; White, Pasco, Korous, & Causadias, 2020) and semi‐partial correlations (Casper, Card, & Barlow, 2020). This special issue showcases some of the various tools available to adolescent researchers conducting meta‐analyses.…”

“…For instance, Casper, Card, & Barlow, 2020 findings suggest that programming to reduce relational aggression and victimization should include boys and girls (not solely girls, which is typically the case). Based on their meta‐analysis findings, White, Pasco, Korous, & Causadias, 2020 advise caution with intervention/prevention efforts to address residential segregation, as more research is needed in this area. As Parr, Schweer‐Collins, Darlington, & Tanner‐Smith (2019) suggest, it is important to use meta‐analysis to evaluate adolescent intervention/prevention programs and, more specifically, to identify sources of heterogeneity in program effects.…”

Prenatal Neighborhood Ethnocultural Context and the Mental Health of Mothers and Children in Low‐Income Mexican American Families

“…Extant findings relative to neighborhood Latinx concentration and child mental health are mixed. A recent meta-analysis found that Latinx concentration was associated with fewer mental health problems in about half of the studies and more mental health problems in the other half; the authors argued for more developmentally and culturally informed work with greater diversity of data sets (White, Pasco, Korous, & Causadias, 2020). From a culturally informed developmental perspective (Garc ıa Coll et al, 1996), mixed findings may stem from individual differences in ethnicity.…”