Skip to main content

Cardiovascular Health Outcomes of Latinos in the Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment (AHOME) Study: A Study of Rental Assistance Use

Journal of Urban Health volume 91, pages 489–498 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Studies have shown that households subsidized with vouchers live in higher quality units and exhibit fewer physical, mental, and social problems than do their peers living in public housing. However, none of these studies have included cardiovascular outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess if use/type of rental assistance is independently associated with poor cardiovascular health among Latino adults (ages ≥18) who are eligible for federal low-income rental assistance and living in the Bronx, NY. Data from the cross-sectional, Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment study, collected over 18 months (January 2011 to August 2012) were used. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes was determined by measured high blood pressure and self-reported heart attack and/or stroke. Type of housing status was defined as: public housing units, units subsidized by section 8 vouchers, and units unassisted by either federal program. Statistical techniques used were analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of CVD was significantly higher among public housing residents than unassisted participants even in the presence of all individual level covariates. Public housing residents also have higher levels of CVD than do section 8 participants. The prevalence of CVD was similar for unassisted and section 8 participants. These findings point to the potential for health benefits arising from housing voucher use even within a fairly delimited geographic area.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (Canada)

References

  1. Fauth RC, Leventhal T, Brooks-Gunn J. Short-term effects of moving from public housing in poor to middle-class neighborhoods on low-income, minority adults’ outcomes. Soc Sci Med. 2004; 59(11): 2271–2284. Epub 2004/09/29.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosenbaum E, Harris LE. Residential mobility and opportunities: early impacts of the Moving to Opportunities Demonstration Program in Chicago. Housing Policy Debate. 2001; 12(2): 321–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sanbonmatsu L, Marvakov J, Potter NA, et al. The long-term effects of moving to opportunity on adult health and economic self-sufficiency. Cityscape. 2012; 14(2): 109–137.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ludwig J, Sanbonmatsu L, Gennetian L, et al. Neighborhoods, obesity, and diabetes—a randomized social experiment. N Engl J Med. 2011; 365(16): 1509–1519. Epub 2011/10/21.

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sanbonmatsu L, Ludwig J, Katz L, et al. Moving to opportunity for fair housing demonstration program: final impacts evaluation. Washington, D.C.: 2011. http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/pubasst/MTOFHD.html. Accessed 5 May 2013.

  7. Rosenbaum E, Friedman S. The housing divide: how generations of immigrants fare in New York’s Housing Market. New York: New York University Press; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Friedman S, Schill M, Rosenbaum E. The use of rental housing assistance by immigrants in the United States and New York City. Hous Policy Debate. 1999; 10(2): 443–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Charlson ME, Pompei P, Ales KL, et al. A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: development and validation. J Chronic Dis. 1987; 40(5): 373–383. Epub 1987/01/01.

    CAS  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lemelin ET, Diez Roux AV, Franklin TG, et al. Life-course socioeconomic positions and subclinical atherosclerosis in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Soc Sci Med. 2009; 68(3): 444–451.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wight RG, Cummings JR, Miller-Martinez D, et al. A multilevel analysis of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health in late life. Soc Sci Med. 2008; 66(4): 862–872.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Harrison RA, Gemmell I, Heller RF. The population effect of crime and neighbourhood on physical activity: an analysis of 15,461 adults. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007; 61(1): 34–39.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Estabrooks PA, Lee RE, Gyurcsik NC. Resources for physical activity participation: does availability and accessibility differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status? Ann Behav Med. 2003; 25(2): 100–104.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Morland K, Wing S, Diez Roux A, et al. Neighborhood characteristics associated with the location of food stores and food service places. Am J Prev Med. 2002; 22(1): 23–29.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Inagami S, Cohen DA, Finch BK, et al. You are where you shop: grocery store locations, weight, and neighborhoods. Am J Prev Med. 2006; 31(1): 10–17.

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The AHOME Study is funded by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s “How Housing Matters to Families and Communities” research program (grant no. 94005-0). The authors would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the AHOME clinical interviewers and student interns whose dedication made this study possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    Earle C. Chambers

  2. Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Emily Rosenbaum

Authors
  1. Earle C. Chambers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emily Rosenbaum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Earle C. Chambers.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 311 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chambers, E.C., Rosenbaum, E. Cardiovascular Health Outcomes of Latinos in the Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment (AHOME) Study: A Study of Rental Assistance Use. J Urban Health 91, 489–498 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-013-9840-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-013-9840-9

Keywords

  • Housing
  • Rental assistance
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Obesity
  • Latino