Is There a Place for Geography in the Analysis of Health Inequality?

Curtis, Sarah; Jones, Ian Rees

doi:10.1111/1467-9566.00123

Cited by 235 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Neighbourhood socio-economic characteristics contribute to the explanation of social inequalities in health [38]. Furthermore, the socio-economic conditions that individuals experience during childhood have a considerable influence on their later life; inequalities in childhood have both direct and long-term negative effects [39-41].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents? A literature review

et al. 2013

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BackgroundAlthough most countries in the European Union are richer and healthier than ever, health inequalities remain an important public health challenge. Health-related problems and premature death have disproportionately been reported in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood social capital is believed to influence the association between neighbourhood deprivation and health in children and adolescents, making it a potentially interesting concept for policymakers.MethodsThis study aims to review the role of social capital in health inequalities and the social gradient in health and well-being of children and adolescents. A systematic review of published quantitative literature was conducted, focussing on (1) the mediating role of neighbourhood social capital in the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and health-related outcomes in children and adolescents and (2) the interaction between neighbourhood social capital and socio-economic characteristics in relation to health-related outcomes in children and adolescents. Three electronic databases were searched. Studies executed between 1 January 1990 and 1 September 2011 in Western countries (USA, New Zealand, Australia and Europe) that included a health-related outcome in children or adolescents and a variable that measured neighbourhood social capital were included.ResultsEight studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. The findings are mixed. Only two of five studies confirmed that neighbourhood social capital mediates the association between neighbourhood deprivation and health and well-being in adolescents. Furthermore, two studies found a significant interaction between neighbourhood socio-economic factors and neighbourhood social capital, which indicates that neighbourhood social capital is especially beneficial for children who reside in deprived neighbourhoods. However, two other studies did not find a significant interaction between SES and neighbourhood social capital. Due to the broad range of studied health-related outcomes, the different operationalisations of neighbourhood social capital and the conceptual overlap between measures of SES and social capital in some studies, the factors that explain these differences in findings remain unclear.ConclusionsAlthough the findings of this study should be interpreted with caution, the results suggest that neighbourhood social capital might play a role in the health gradient among children and adolescents. However, only two of the included studies were conducted in Europe. Furthermore, some studies focussed on specific populations and minority groups. To formulate relevant European policy recommendations, further European-focussed research on this issue is needed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents? A literature review

et al. 2013

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“…Kaplan stated that "perhaps nowhere is the need for social epidemiological theory more apparent than in the study of "place" effects on health [39]. One of the main problems in the study of neighbourhoods and health is the lack of development of theories about plausible social, psychological, and biological links between specific features of the neighbourhoods and specific health outcomes [40]. Shankardass and Dunn [41] have recently argued that social epidemiology has been proficient in describing patterns in neighbourhood inequalities but has been less capable at fostering an understanding of how these effects relate to the social mechanisms of causation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining ecological clusters of maternal depression in South Western Sydney

Eastwood

Kemp

Jalaludin

2014

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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BackgroundThe aim of the qualitative study reported here was to: 1) explain the observed clustering of postnatal depressive symptoms in South Western Sydney; and 2) identify group-level mechanisms that would add to our understanding of the social determinants of maternal depression.MethodsCritical realism provided the methodological underpinning for the study. The setting was four local government areas in South Western Sydney, Australia. Child and Family practitioners and mothers in naturally occurring mothers groups were interviewed.ResultsUsing an open coding approach to maximise emergence of patterns and relationships we have identified seven theoretical concepts that might explain the observed spatial clustering of maternal depression. The theoretical concepts identified were: Community-level social networks; Social Capital and Social Cohesion; "Depressed community"; Access to services at the group level; Ethnic segregation and diversity; Supportive social policy; and Big business.ConclusionsWe postulate that these regional structural, economic, social and cultural mechanisms partially explain the pattern of maternal depression observed in families and communities within South Western Sydney. We further observe that powerful global economic and political forces are having an impact on the local situation. The challenge for policy and practice is to support mothers and their families within this adverse regional and global-economic context.

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“…We are unable to test whether these missing cases were somehow systematic and thus biased; interviewers may be less likely to rate certain neighborhoods altogether, such as those with atypical characteristics like a single building. Second, it may be argued that the neighborhood SES measure used in this study represents compositional effects—relating to the distribution of people with similar characteristics—and is not comparable to interviewer observations which represent contextual effects—relating to the social and physical environment in which people live (Curtis & Jones, 1998). Distinguishing between ecological influence and ecological composition is challenging and likely requires temporal ordering of both survey and contextual data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contextualization of Survey Data: What Do We Gain and Does It Matter?

Wilkinson

Ferraro

Kemp

2017

Research in Human Development

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Survey research designs that integrate contextual data have become more prevalent in recent decades, presumably to enable a more refined focus on the person as the unit of analysis and a greater emphasis on interindividual differences due to social forces and contextual conditions. This article reviews varied approaches to contextualizing survey data and examines the value of linking two data sources to respondent information: interviewer ratings and neighborhood information (measured via census tracts). The utility of an integrative approach is illustrated with data from the Health and Retirement Study. The results reveal modest gains by using a contextualized approach but also demonstrate that neglecting contextual factors may lead to misdirected substantive conclusions, especially for older racial and ethnic minorities. To enhance the ecological validity of survey data, investigators should select theoretically-meaningful contextual data for specific research questions and consider cross-level interactions.

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Is There a Place for Geography in the Analysis of Health Inequality?

Cited by 235 publications

References 59 publications

Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents? A literature review

Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents? A literature review

Explaining ecological clusters of maternal depression in South Western Sydney

Contextualization of Survey Data: What Do We Gain and Does It Matter?

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