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Do neighborhoods affect individual mortality? A systematic review and meta-analysis of multilevel studies

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  • Meijer, Mathias
  • Röhl, Jeannette
  • Bloomfield, Kim
  • Grittner, Ulrike

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in investigating whether inhabitants in socially or physically deprived neighborhoods have higher mortality when individual socioeconomic status is adjusted for. Results so far appear ambiguous and the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review of previous studies and to quantify the association between area-level socioeconomic status (ALSES) and all-cause mortality in a meta-analysis. Current guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses were followed. Articles were retrieved from Medline, Embase, Social Sciences Citation Index and PsycInfo and individually evaluated by two researchers. Only peer-reviewed multilevel studies from high-income countries, which analyzed the influence of at least one area-level indicator and which controlled for individual SES, were included. The ALSES estimates in each study were first combined into a single estimate using weighted linear regression. In the meta-analysis we calculated combined estimates with random effects to account for heterogeneity between studies. Out of the 40 studies found eligible for the systematic review 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The systematic review suggests that there is an association between social cohesion and mortality but found no evidence for a clear association for area-level income inequality or for social capital. Studies including more than one area level suggest that characteristics on different area levels contribute to individual mortality. In the meta-analysis we found significantly higher mortality among inhabitants living in areas with low ALSES. Associations were stronger for men and younger age groups and in studies analyzing geographical units with fewer inhabitants.

Suggested Citation

  • Meijer, Mathias & Röhl, Jeannette & Bloomfield, Kim & Grittner, Ulrike, 2012. "Do neighborhoods affect individual mortality? A systematic review and meta-analysis of multilevel studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(8), pages 1204-1212.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:8:p:1204-1212
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11.034
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    1. Daniel Oudin Åström & Paul W. Franks & Kristina Sundquist, 2018. "Neighborhoods and mortality in Sweden: Is deprivation best assessed nationally or regionally?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(18), pages 429-450.
    2. Paulien Hagedoorn & Hadewijch Vandenheede & Didier Willaert & Katrien Vanthomme & Sylvie Gadeyne, 2016. "Regional Inequalities in Lung Cancer Mortality in Belgium at the Beginning of the 21st Century: The Contribution of Individual and Area-Level Socioeconomic Status and Industrial Exposure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Steffen Andreas Schüle & Gabriele Bolte, 2015. "Interactive and Independent Associations between the Socioeconomic and Objective Built Environment on the Neighbourhood Level and Individual Health: A Systematic Review of Multilevel Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-31, April.
    4. Ibrahima Bocoum & Aurelas B. Tohon & Roger Rukundo & Catherine Macombe & Jean-Pierre Revéret, 2019. "Effect of Income Inequality on Health in Quebec: New Insights from Panel Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Justin T. Denney & Jarron M. Saint Onge & Jeff A. Dennis, 2018. "Neighborhood Concentrated Disadvantage and Adult Mortality: Insights for Racial and Ethnic Differences," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(2), pages 301-321, April.
    6. Arcaya, Mariana C. & Tucker-Seeley, Reginald D. & Kim, Rockli & Schnake-Mahl, Alina & So, Marvin & Subramanian, S.V., 2016. "Research on neighborhood effects on health in the United States: A systematic review of study characteristics," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 16-29.
    7. Per E Gustafsson & Miguel San Sebastian & Urban Janlert & Töres Theorell & Hugo Westerlund & Anne Hammarström, 2013. "Residential Selection across the Life Course: Adolescent Contextual and Individual Determinants of Neighborhood Disadvantage in Mid-Adulthood," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-11, November.
    8. Nicolle A Mode & Michele K Evans & Alan B Zonderman, 2016. "Race, Neighborhood Economic Status, Income Inequality and Mortality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Masayoshi Oka, 2015. "Measuring a neighborhood affluence-deprivation continuum in urban settings: Descriptive findings from four US cities," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(54), pages 1469-1486.
    10. Eva U. B. Kibele & Sebastian Klüsener & Rembrandt D. Scholz, 2014. "Regional mortality disparities in Germany: long-term dynamics and possible determinants," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2014-009, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    11. Hystad, Perry & Carpiano, Richard M. & Demers, Paul A. & Johnson, Kenneth C. & Brauer, Michael, 2013. "Neighbourhood socioeconomic status and individual lung cancer risk: Evaluating long-term exposure measures and mediating mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 95-103.
    12. Deborah De Moortel & Paulien Hagedoorn & Christophe Vanroelen & Sylvie Gadeyne, 2018. "Employment status and mortality in the context of high and low regional unemployment levels in Belgium (2001–2011): A test of the social norm hypothesis across educational levels," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.
    13. Do, D. Phuong & Frank, Reanne & Iceland, John, 2017. "Black-white metropolitan segregation and self-rated health: Investigating the role of neighborhood poverty," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 85-92.
    14. Roth, Adam R. & Denney, Justin T. & Amiri, Solmaz & Amram, Ofer, 2020. "Characteristics of place and the rural disadvantage in deaths from highly preventable causes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    15. Bongki Woo & Kaipeng Wang & David T. Takeuchi, 2018. "Perceived Social Position of Asian Americans: Neighborhood Context and Social Comparison," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(3), pages 1075-1087, August.
    16. Do, D. Phuong & Wang, Lu & Elliott, Michael R., 2013. "Investigating the relationship between neighborhood poverty and mortality risk: A marginal structural modeling approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 58-66.
    17. Maria T Sánchez-Santos & Marco Mesa-Frias & Minkyoung Choi & Eveline Nüesch & Angel Asunsolo-Del Barco & Antoinette Amuzu & George Davey Smith & Shah Ebrahim & David Prieto-Merino & Juan P Casas, 2013. "Area-Level Deprivation and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality: 12 Years’ Observation on British Women and Systematic Review of Prospective Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-1, September.
    18. Eva Kibele, 2014. "Individual- and area-level effects on mortality risk in Germany, both East and West, among male Germans aged 65+," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 59(3), pages 439-448, June.
    19. Elliott, Jane & Gale, Catharine R. & Parsons, Samantha & Kuh, Diana, 2014. "Neighbourhood cohesion and mental wellbeing among older adults: A mixed methods approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 44-51.
    20. Regidor, Enrique & Vallejo, Fernando & Reques, Laura & Cea, Lucía & Miqueleiz, Estrella & Barrio, Gregorio, 2015. "Area-level socioeconomic context, total mortality and cause-specific mortality in Spain: Heterogeneous findings depending on the level of geographic aggregation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 142-150.
    21. Anne Mette Bender & Ichiro Kawachi & Torben Jørgensen & Charlotta Pisinger, 2015. "Neighborhood Deprivation Is Strongly Associated with Participation in a Population-Based Health Check," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-10, June.
    22. Jens Kandt & Shu-Sen Chang & Paul Yip & Ricky Burdett, 2017. "The spatial pattern of premature mortality in Hong Kong: How does it relate to public housing?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(5), pages 1211-1234, April.

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