Effects of Crowding in Bangkok

摘要对哺乳动物的研究，如各种类型的老鼠和鹿，已经表明拥挤与过度拥挤的动物的各种有害后果有关。在社会学理论中，拥挤(或密度)也被认为与不利的社会后果有关。然而，在人类中，美国和加拿大关于拥挤的研究得出了不同的结果。不同的研究结果可能是由于这样一个事实，即从全球来看，北美的拥挤程度往往只从低到中等。也许有一个拥挤的“门槛”；也就是说，每户有一定的人数，超过这个门槛，就可以观察到拥挤的不利影响。泰国曼谷是进行这类研究的非常合适的地点，因为在一些泰国社区中发现了极端的拥挤速度。这项研究汇集了美国和柬埔寨的研究团队。他们在大都会Bankok进行的调查将评估家庭人口密度越大是否与更多与压力相关的身体疾病(如高血压、心绞痛)有关，以及配偶之间和父母与孩子之间的紧张程度是否更高。研究人员的拥挤-压力模型将使用利斯雷尔分析进行评估。

Abstract Research on mammals, such as various types of rats and deer, has shown crowding to be associated with a variety of deleterious consequences for the overcrowded animals. In sociological theory, crowding (or density) has also been thought to be associated with adverse social consequences. However, among humans, studies of crowding in the United States and in Canada have produced inconsistent results. Different study results may be due to the fact that crowding in North America tends to vary only from low to moderate when viewed in global terms. Perhaps there is a crowding "threshold;" that is, some number of persons per household above which the adverse effects of crowding may be observed. Bangkok, Thailand is a highly appropriate site in which to conduct this type of research because of the extreme rates of crowding found in some Thai communities. This study brings together American and Cambodian research teams. Their survey, in metropolitan Bankok, will assess whether a greater density of persons in households is associated with more stress related physical illnesses (e.g. hypertension, angina) and greater tension between spouses and between parents and children. The investigators' crowding--stress model will be assessed with Lisrel analysis.