Inter-Relationships Between Objective and Subjective Measures of the Residential Environment Among Urban African American Women

Published In

Annals of Epidemiology

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

3-1-2017

Abstract

Purpose:The inter-relationships between objective (census based) and subjective (resident reported) measures of the residential environment is understudied in African American (AA) populations. Methods: Using data from the Life Influences on Fetal Environments Study (2009–2011; n = 1387) of AA women, we quantified the area-level variation in subjective reports of residential healthy food availability, walkability, safety, and disorder that can be accounted for with an objective neighborhood disadvantage index (NDI). Two-level generalized linear models estimated associations between objective and subjective measures of the residential environment, accounting for individual-level covariates. Results: In unconditional models, intraclass correlation coefficients for block-group variance in subjective reports ranged from 11% (healthy food availability) to 30% (safety). Models accounting for the NDI (vs. both NDI and individual-level covariates) accounted for more variance in healthy food availability (23% vs. 8%) and social disorder (40% vs. 38%). The NDI and individual-level variables accounted for 39% and 51% of the area-level variation in walkability and safety, respectively. Associations between subjective and objective measures of the residential environment were significant and in the expected direction. Conclusions: Future studies on neighborhood effects on health, especially among AAs, should include a wide range of residential environment measures, including subjective, objective, and spatial contextual variables.

DOI

10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.12.003

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/20196

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