Family Background, Neighborhood Characteristics and Children's Health -- Racial/Ethnic Disparity

• In Event: 434 - Section on Children and Youth Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Children and Youth Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Contextual Influences on Health and Obesity Among Youth

Abstract

The present study has two aims. First, it describes the trends in parent-reported health of children aged 0 to 17 years in the U.S, as well as changes and patterns in family structures and neighborhood characteristics between 2003 and 2007; Second, it assesses the consistency and the relative influences of family background and neighborhood characteristics on parent-reported health of children in four different racial/ethnic groups: White, Hispanic, Black, and Other.
The analysis is based on two repeated cross-sectional data of National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), the 2003 NSCH and the 2007 NSCH. Children’s health problems, family background, and neighborhood characteristics were assessed through the reports of the parent (guardian) of the child to the structured questions. A composite measure of health problems based on 10 items was used. Data were analyzed by frequency distribution, and multivariate regression.
Our findings indicated an adverse trend in the prevalence of health problems among children in the U.S. over the four year period between 2003 and 2007. Disparities existed in children’s health problems across different racial/ethnic groups. And little progress has been made towards reducing the disparities over the 4 years. Disparities also existed in the family background and neighborhood characteristics for children from different racial/ethnic groups. Further, the health effects of family background and neighborhood characteristics also differed in magnitudes and directions for children from different racial/ethnic groups.

Authors

• Yuying Shen, Texas Tech University

• Ami R. Moore, University of North Texas

• Philip Q. Yang, Texas Woman's University

• Dale Elgert Yeatts, University of North Texas