Family functioning as a mediator between neighborhood conditions and children's health: Evidence from a national survey in the United States
Family functioning as a mediator between neighborhood conditions and children's health: Evidence from a national survey in the United States
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DOI：
10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.039
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发表时间：
2012-06-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Chen, Qian
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fan, Yingling;Chen, Qian
本研究探讨邻里条件和儿童的健康之间的关联是否可以间接和家庭功能的各个方面进行操作。我们使用的数据来自2007年美国儿童健康全国调查，受访的父母/监护人作为数据的唯一来源。我们的研究样本包括53，023名6至17岁的儿童。使用结构方程模型，我们测试家庭功能指数，儿童健康状况的一般指标，和三个邻里因素：邻里的物理资源，环境威胁和集体效能之间的直接和间接关系。分析中的协变量包括性别、年龄、收入、种族、家庭结构、父母教育程度和医疗保险覆盖范围。所有这三个邻里因素都与儿童的总体健康状况有直接联系，也与家庭功能方面的间接联系有关。在三个邻里因素中，集体效能和环境威胁被发现与儿童的一般健康有更强的关联比物理资源。在为儿童和家庭设计促进健康的社区时，城市规划者和卫生专业人员将重点放在减少环境压力和促进社区凝聚力的社区计划上，而不是仅仅改善物理基础设施的计划。本研究还验证了家庭功能的方面调解邻里条件和儿童的健康之间的关联。建议家庭和邻里都是儿童健康干预的关键点。(C)2012爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
This study examines whether the associations between neighborhood conditions and children's health can be indirect and operate through aspects of family functioning. We use data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health in the United States with the interviewed parents/guardians as the only source of the data. Our study sample includes 53,023 children aged between 6 and 17 years. Using structural equation modeling, we test both direct and indirect relationships between a family functioning index, a general indicator of children's health status, and three neighborhood factors: neighborhood physical resources, environmental threats, and collective efficacy. Covariates in the analysis include gender, age, income, race, family structure, parental education, and health insurance coverage. All the three neighborhood factors show direct associations with children's general health status, as well as indirect associations mediated by aspects of family functioning. Among the three neighborhood factors, collective efficacy and environmental threats are found to have much stronger associations with children's general health than physical resources. When designing health-promoting neighborhoods for children and families, it may be more efficient for urban planners and health professionals to focus on community programs that reduce environmental stressors and foster neighborhood cohesion than programs that solely improve physical infrastructure. This study also verifies that aspects of family functioning mediate the associations between neighborhood conditions and children's health. It is recommended that both family and neighborhood are critical points for child health intervention. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.