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Adverse Housing and Neighborhood Conditions and Inflammatory Markers among Middle-Aged African Americans

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Abstract

Adverse housing and neighborhood conditions are independently associated with an increased risk of various diseases and conditions. One possible explanation relates to systemic inflammation, which is associated with these adverse health outcomes. The authors investigated the association between housing and neighborhood conditions with inflammatory markers using data about 352 persons aged 49–65 years from the African American Health study. Participants were identified by a multistage random selection process in 2000 to 2001(response rate, 76%). Blood was analyzed for soluble cytokine receptors (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α), C-reactive protein, and adiponectin. Neighborhood and housing characteristics consisted of five observed block face conditions (external appearance of the block on which the subject lived), four perceived neighborhood conditions, four observed housing conditions (home assessment by the interviewers rating the interior and exterior of the subject’s building), and census-tract level poverty rate from the 2000 census. Differences in some inflammatory markers were found by age, gender, chronic conditions, and body mass index (all Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.0034). There was no association between any of the housing/neighborhood conditions and the pro-inflammatory markers and potential associations between some housing/neighborhood conditions and adiponectin (p < 0.05, Bonferroni-adjusted p > 0.0034). Inflammation does not appear to be a mediator of the association between poor housing/neighborhood conditions and adverse health outcomes in middle-aged African Americans.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (AG-10436 to D.K.M). Dr. Wolinsky is supported, in part, as a Research Scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers of Iowa City, IA, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Health Behavior Research, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Mario Schootman PhD

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Elena M. Andresen

  3. Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Fredric D. Wolinsky

  4. Department of Neurology & Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Theodore K. Malmstrom

  5. Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    John E. Morley

  6. GRECC, VA Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA

    John E. Morley

  7. Indiana University Center for Aging Research and Regenstrief Institute, Inc., School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Douglas K. Miller

Authors
  1. Mario Schootman PhD
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  2. Elena M. Andresen
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  3. Fredric D. Wolinsky
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  4. Theodore K. Malmstrom
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  5. John E. Morley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mario Schootman PhD.

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ESM Table 1

Sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health behavior, block face, and housing conditions of the African American Health (AAH) study participants who were included in the current analysis (n = 352) and those who were not (n = 646). (DOC 80 kb)

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Schootman, M., Andresen, E.M., Wolinsky, F.D. et al. Adverse Housing and Neighborhood Conditions and Inflammatory Markers among Middle-Aged African Americans. J Urban Health 87, 199–210 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-009-9426-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-009-9426-8

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