IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/poprpr/v42y2023i5d10.1007_s11113-023-09826-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Structure of Pandemic Vulnerability: Housing Wealth, Residential Segregation, and COVID-19 Mortality

Author

Listed:
  • Chinyere O. Agbai

    (The Ohio State University)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for those with limited economic resources. Extensive research demonstrates the negative relationship between wealth and mortality at both the individual and area levels. In addition, residential segregation has been linked to poor health and greater mortality. Home equity is the largest asset that many Americans own, but residential segregation devalues homes located in Black neighborhoods. Despite the interlocking relationships between wealth, residential segregation, and mortality, it remains unclear how wealth and residential segregation work to predict COVID-19 deaths. Using U.S. Census data and county-level COVID-19 data from Johns Hopkins University (n = 1164), I deploy median home value as a wealth proxy and negative binomial regression models to interrogate two questions. (1) What is the relationship between home value and COVID-19 deaths? (2) How does the relationship vary by level of residential segregation? Results indicate that COVID-19 mortality is 64 percent greater in the lowest wealth counties than in the wealthiest counties. At average median home value, the most segregated counties with the largest Black populations suffer 28 percent more COVID-19 deaths than similarly situated counties with low levels of residential segregation and small Black populations. This study underscores the importance of accounting for residential segregation in examinations of the well-established relationship between socioeconomic status and health and mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Chinyere O. Agbai, 2023. "The Structure of Pandemic Vulnerability: Housing Wealth, Residential Segregation, and COVID-19 Mortality," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(5), pages 1-30, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:42:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1007_s11113-023-09826-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-023-09826-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-023-09826-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11113-023-09826-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mehra, Renee & Boyd, Lisa M. & Ickovics, Jeannette R., 2017. "Racial residential segregation and adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 237-250.
    2. Orazio P. Attanasio & Hilary Williamson Hoynes, 2000. "Differential Mortality and Wealth Accumulation," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 35(1), pages 1-29.
    3. Soobader, Mah-Jabeen & LeClere, Felicia B., 1999. "Aggregation and the measurement of income inequality: effects on morbidity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 733-744, March.
    4. Zenk, S.N. & Schulz, A.J. & Israel, B.A. & James, S.A. & Bao, S. & Wilson, M.L., 2005. "Neighborhood racial composition, neighborhood poverty, and the spatial accessibility of supermarkets in metropolitan Detroit," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(4), pages 660-667.
    5. Edward N. Wolff, 2016. "Deconstructing Household Wealth Trends in the United States, 1983 - 2013," NBER Working Papers 22704, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Subramanian, S.V. & Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores & Osypuk, Theresa L., 2005. "Racial residential segregation and geographic heterogeneity in black/white disparity in poor self-rated health in the US: a multilevel statistical analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(8), pages 1667-1679, April.
    7. James Smith & Raynard Kington, 1997. "Demographic and economic correlates of health in old age," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 34(1), pages 159-170, February.
    8. Sean F. Reardon & Lindsay Fox & Joseph Townsend, 2015. "Neighborhood Income Composition by Household Race and Income, 1990–2009," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 660(1), pages 78-97, July.
    9. McLafferty, Sara, 1982. "Neighborhood characteristics and hospital closures : A comparison of the public, private and voluntary hospital systems," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 16(19), pages 1667-1674, January.
    10. McLaughlin, D.K. & Stokes, C.S., 2002. "Income inequality and mortality in US counties: Does minority racial concentration matter?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(1), pages 99-104.
    11. Peter Adams & Michael D. Hurd & Daniel L. McFadden & Angela Merrill & Tiago Ribeiro, 2004. "Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? Tests for Direct Causal Paths between Health and Socioeconomic Status," NBER Chapters, in: Perspectives on the Economics of Aging, pages 415-526, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Laaksonen, Mikko & Tarkiainen, Lasse & Martikainen, Pekka, 2009. "Housing wealth and mortality: A register linkage study of the Finnish population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 754-760, September.
    13. Drewnowski, Adam & D. Rehm, Colin & Solet, David, 2007. "Disparities in obesity rates: Analysis by ZIP code area," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(12), pages 2458-2463, December.
    14. Kalipeni, Ezekiel, 2000. "Health and disease in southern Africa: a comparative and vulnerability perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(7-8), pages 965-983, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yanrong Qiu & Kaihuai Liao & Yanting Zou & Gengzhi Huang, 2022. "A Bibliometric Analysis on Research Regarding Residential Segregation and Health Based on CiteSpace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Tammy Leonard & Amy E. Hughes & Sandi L. Pruitt, 2017. "Understanding How Low–Socioeconomic Status Households Cope with Health Shocks," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 669(1), pages 125-145, January.
    3. Chang, Virginia W., 2006. "Racial residential segregation and weight status among US adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1289-1303, September.
    4. Jones, Andrew M. & Wildman, John, 2008. "Health, income and relative deprivation: Evidence from the BHPS," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 308-324, March.
    5. James Smith, 2004. "Unravelling the SES health connection," IFS Working Papers W04/02, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    6. Peter Adams & Michael D. Hurd & Daniel L. McFadden & Angela Merrill & Tiago Ribeiro, 2004. "Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? Tests for Direct Causal Paths between Health and Socioeconomic Status," NBER Chapters, in: Perspectives on the Economics of Aging, pages 415-526, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Thomas Barnay & François Legendre, 2012. "Simultaneous causality between health status and employment status within the population aged 30-59 in France," Working Papers halshs-00856217, HAL.
    8. Angus Deaton, 2003. "Health, Inequality, and Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 41(1), pages 113-158, March.
    9. Hans-Martin von Gaudecker & Rembrandt D. Scholz, 2006. "Lifetime earnings and life expectancy," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2006-008, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    10. Michaud, Pierre-Carl & van Soest, Arthur, 2008. "Health and wealth of elderly couples: Causality tests using dynamic panel data models," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 1312-1325, September.
    11. Mete, Cem & Schultz, T. Paul, 2002. "Health and Labor Force Participation of the Elderly in Taiwan," Center Discussion Papers 28470, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    12. Kajal Lahiri & Zulkarnain Pulungan, 2006. "Health Inequality and Its Determinants in New York," Discussion Papers 06-03, University at Albany, SUNY, Department of Economics.
    13. James Smith, 2005. "Consequences and Predictors of New Health Events," NBER Chapters, in: Analyses in the Economics of Aging, pages 213-240, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Semyonov, Moshe & Lewin-Epstein, Noah & Maskileyson, Dina, 2013. "Where wealth matters more for health: The wealth–health gradient in 16 countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 10-17.
    15. Angela C. Lyons & Tansel Yilmazer, 2005. "Health and Financial Strain: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 71(4), pages 873-890, April.
    16. Lahiri, Kajal & Pulungan, Zulkarnain, 2007. "Income-related health disparity and its determinants in New York state: racial/ethnic and geographical comparisons," MPRA Paper 21694, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. repec:ran:wpaper:191 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Bender, Keith A. & Theodossiou, Ioannis, 2009. "Controlling for endogeneity in the health-socioeconomic status relationship of the near retired," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 977-987, December.
    19. Zhilei Shi & Hao Dong, 2022. "The Lasting Health Impact of Early-Life Chronic Poverty: Evidence from Starvation Experiences in Rural China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1359-1384, June.
    20. Frijters, Paul & Haisken-DeNew, John P. & Shields, Michael A., 2005. "The causal effect of income on health: Evidence from German reunification," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 997-1017, September.
    21. Frijters, Paul & Ulker, Aydogan, 2008. "Robustness in health research: Do differences in health measures, techniques, and time frame matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1626-1644, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:42:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1007_s11113-023-09826-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.