Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent behavior problems: how do inferences differ across definitions of disadvantage?

  • Research
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Various definitions of neighborhood disadvantage (ND) exist, yet evidence is lacking on how ND operationalization may impact scientific inference.

Methods

We used data from wave 6 of the Fragile Families study, excluding those without census tract or behavior problem data (n = 2363). Outcomes included five scales from the caregiver-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a self-reported delinquency scale. ND was defined in four ways: (1) a modified Sampson definition which included four neighborhood poverty variables; (2) a poverty-only definition which only included percent households below poverty; (3) an overextended definition which added a mediator between the ND-behavior relationship, and (4) an expanded definition which added six additional ND variables to the modified Sampson definition. Using effect estimates from generalized linear models, differences were calculated using percent change-in-estimate, with the modified Sampson as the referent.

Results

Effect estimates were similar for the modified Sampson and expanded definitions (< 5% difference). The poverty-only definition differed from the modified Sampson unsystematically. Estimates for the overextended definition were consistently larger compared to modified Sampson (10–37% greater). The expanded and modified Sampson definitions produced similar results.

Conclusion

Poverty-only and overextended ND definitions should be interpreted with caution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The Future Families and Child Wellbeing study manages data sharing from: (https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/).

References

  1. Arcaya MC, Tucker-Seeley RD, Kim R, Schnake-Mahl A, So M, Subramanian SV (2016) Research on neighborhood effects on health in the United States: a systematic review of study characteristics. Soc Sci Med 168:16–29

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Oakes JM, Andrade KE, Biyoow IM, Cowan LT (2015) Twenty years of neighborhood effect research: an assessment. Curr Epidemiol Rep 2(1):80–87

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Minh A, Muhajarine N, Janus M, Brownell M, Guhn M (2017) A review of neighborhood effects and early child development: how, where, and for whom, do neighborhoods matter? Health Place 46:155–174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Sampson RJ, Morenoff JD, Gannon-Rowley T (2002) Assessing" neighborhood effects": social processes and new directions in research. Annu Rev Sociol 28:443–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Visser K, Bolt G, Finkenauer C, Jonker M, Weinberg D, Stevens GWJM (2021) Neighbourhood deprivation effects on young people’s mental health and well-being: a systematic review of the literature. Soc Sci Med 270:113542

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Vazsonyi AT, Cleveland HH, Wiebe RP (2006) Does the effect of impulsivity on delinquency vary by level of neighborhood disadvantage? Crim Justice Behav 33(4):511–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jennings WG, Perez NM, Reingle Gonzalez JM (2018) Conduct disorder and neighborhood effects. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 14:317–341

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. McBride Murry V, Berkel C, Gaylord-Harden NK, Copeland-Linder N, Nation M (2011) Neighborhood poverty and adolescent development. J Res Adolesc 21(1):114–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Carroll SL, Klump KL, Burt SA (2022) Understanding the effects of neighborhood disadvantage on youth psychopathology. Psychol Med 53:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  10. Alvarado SE (2019) The indelible weight of place: childhood neighborhood disadvantage, timing of exposure, and obesity across adulthood. Health Place 58:102159

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sampson RJ, Sharkey P, Raudenbush SW (2008) Durable effects of concentrated disadvantage on verbal ability among African-American children. Proc Natl Acad Sci 105(3):845–852

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW, Earls F (1997) Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science 277(5328):918–924

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hamad R, Öztürk B, Foverskov E, Pedersen L, Sørensen HT, Bøtker HE et al (2020) Association of neighborhood disadvantage with cardiovascular risk factors and events among refugees in Denmark. JAMA Netw Open 3(8):e2014196-e

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ahlbom A (2021) Modern epidemiology. In: Lash TL, VanderWeele TJ, Haneuse S, Rothman KJ (2021). Wolters Kluwer, 2021. Eur J Epidemiol 36(8):767–768

  15. Dennis E, Manza P, Volkow ND (2022) Socioeconomic status, BMI, and brain development in children. Transl Psychiatry 12(1):33

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Ramphal B, Whalen DJ, Kenley JK, Yu Q, Smyser CD, Rogers CE et al (2020) Brain connectivity and socioeconomic status at birth and externalizing symptoms at age 2 years. Dev Cogn Neurosci 45:100811

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health (2005) Lead exposure in children: prevention, detection, and management. Pediatrics 116(4):1036–1046

  18. Mason LH, Harp JP, Han DY (2014) Pb neurotoxicity: neuropsychological effects of lead toxicity. Biomed Res Int 2014:840547

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Evans GW, Ricciuti HN, Hope S, Schoon I, Bradley RH, Corwyn RF et al (2010) Crowding and cognitive development: the mediating role of maternal responsiveness among 36-month-old children. Environ Behav 42(1):135–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Midouhas E, Kokosi T, Flouri E (2018) Outdoor and indoor air quality and cognitive ability in young children. Environ Res 161:321–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Jackson N, Denny S, Sheridan J, Zhao J, Ameratunga S (2016) The role of neighborhood disadvantage, physical disorder, and collective efficacy in adolescent alcohol use: a multilevel path analysis. Health Place 41:24–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Williams J (2013) Social cohesion and free home internet in New Zealand. Social and economic effects of community wireless networks and infrastructures. IGI Global, pp 135–159

    Google Scholar 

  23. Villarreal A, Silva BF (2006) Social cohesion, criminal victimization and perceived risk of crime in Brazilian neighborhoods. Soc Forces 84(3):1725–1753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Morenoff JD, Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW (2001) Neighborhood inequality, collective efficacy, and the spatial dynamics of urban violence. Criminology 39(3):517–558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. King C, Huang X, Dewan NA (2022) Continuity and change in neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent depression and anxiety. Health Place 73:102724

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Reichman NE, Teitler JO, Garfinkel I, McLanahan SS (2001) Fragile families: sample and design. Child Youth Serv Rev 23(4):303–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Williams DR, Priest N, Anderson NB (2016) Understanding associations among race, socioeconomic status, and health: patterns and prospects. Health Psychol 35(4):407–411

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Humphrey JL, Root ED (2017) Spatio-temporal neighborhood impacts on internalizing and externalizing behaviors in U.S. elementary school children: effect modification by child and family socio-demographics. Soc Sci Med 180:52–61

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Alvarado SE (2020) The complexities of race and place: childhood neighborhood disadvantage and adult incarceration for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos. Socius 6:2378023120927154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Donnelly L (2015) Neighborhood disadvantage and school dropout: a multilevel analysis of mediating contexts. Rutgers University-Graduate School-New Brunswick

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kim YS (2016) Examination of the relative effects of neighborhoods and schools on juvenile delinquency: a multilevel cross-classified model approach. Deviant Behav 37(10):1196–1214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Achenbach TM, Edelbrock C (1991) Child behavior checklist. Burlington (Vt) 7:371–392

    Google Scholar 

  33. Royston P, White IR (2011) Multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE): implementation in Stata. J Stat Softw 45:1–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Bashash M, Marchand M, Hu H, Till C, Martinez-Mier EA, Sanchez BN et al (2018) Prenatal fluoride exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at 6–12 years of age in Mexico City. Environ Int 121:658–666

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Wang Z (2007) Two postestimation commands for assessing confounding effects in epidemiological studies. Stand Genomic Sci 7(2):183–196

    Google Scholar 

  36. Sharp GC, Alfano R, Ghantous A, Urquiza J, Rifas-Shiman SL, Page CM et al (2021) Paternal body mass index and offspring DNA methylation: findings from the PACE consortium. Int J Epidemiol 50(4):1297–1315

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Koo BB, Blackwell T, Lee HB, Stone KL, Louis ED, Redline S et al (2016) Restless legs syndrome and depression: effect mediation by disturbed sleep and periodic limb movements. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 24(11):1105–1116

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Hunnicutt JN, Ulbricht CM, Chrysanthopoulou SA, Lapane KL (2016) Probabilistic bias analysis in pharmacoepidemiology and comparative effectiveness research: a systematic review. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 25(12):1343–1353

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Zhang S, Li G, Tian L, Guo Q, Pan X (2016) Short-term exposure to air pollution and morbidity of COPD and asthma in East Asian area: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Res 148:15–23

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Goodnight JA, Lahey BB, Van Hulle CA, Rodgers JL, Rathouz PJ, Waldman ID et al (2012) A quasi-experimental analysis of the influence of neighborhood disadvantage on child and adolescent conduct problems. J Abnorm Psychol 121(1):95

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Fite PJ, Wynn P, Lochman JE, Wells KC (2009) The effect of neighborhood disadvantage on proactive and reactive aggression. J Community Psychol 37(4):542–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. McGEE R, Williams S (1999) Environmental risk factors in oppositional-defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Handbook of disruptive behavior disorders. Springer, pp 419–440

    Book  Google Scholar 

  43. Lei MK, Beach SR (2020) Can we uncouple neighborhood disadvantage and delinquent behaviors? An experimental test of family resilience guided by the social disorganization theory of delinquent behaviors. Fam Process 59(4):1801–1817

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Fagan AA, Wright EM (2012) The effects of neighborhood context on youth violence and delinquency: Does gender matter? Youth Violence Juv Just 10(1):64–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Humphrey JL, Root ED (2017) Spatio-temporal neighborhood impacts on internalizing and externalizing behaviors in US elementary school children: effect modification by child and family socio-demographics. Soc Sci Med 180:52–61

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Santiago CD, Wadsworth ME, Stump J (2011) Socioeconomic status, neighborhood disadvantage, and poverty-related stress: prospective effects on psychological syndromes among diverse low-income families. J Econ Psychol 32(2):218–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Leventhal T, Brooks-Gunn J (2003) Moving to opportunity: an experimental study of neighborhood effects on mental health. Am J Public Health 93(9):1576–1582

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Kling JR, Ludwig J, Katz LF (2004) Youth criminal behavior in the moving to opportunity experiment. Working paper-Princeton University industrial relations section

  49. Formoso D, Weber NR, AtkinsS M (2010) Gentrification and urban children’s well-being: tipping the scales from problems to promise. Am J Commun Psychol 46(3):395–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HD036916, R01HD039135, and R01HD040421, as well as a consortium of private foundations. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA

    Seth Frndak

  2. Department of Sociology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA

    Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk

  3. Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA

    Craig Colder

  4. Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Hailey Banack

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA

    Katarzyna Kordas

Authors
  1. Seth Frndak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Craig Colder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hailey Banack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Katarzyna Kordas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Seth Frndak is the first author. He provided conceptual and analytic contributions to the paper while also writing the manuscript. Drs. Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk, Craig Colder, Hailey Banack, and Katarzyna Kordas provided epidemiologic and methodologic support, while also editing and revising the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seth Frndak.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Authors have no competing interests to declare.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Frndak, S., Grol-Prokopczyk, H., Colder, C. et al. Neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent behavior problems: how do inferences differ across definitions of disadvantage?. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02593-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02593-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation