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. 2011 Aug;101(8):1508-14.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300139. Epub 2011 Jun 16.

US Housing insecurity and the health of very young children

Diana Becker Cutts  1 , Alan F Meyers, Maureen M Black, Patrick H Casey, Mariana Chilton, John T Cook, Joni Geppert, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Timothy Heeren, Sharon Coleman, Ruth Rose-Jacobs, Deborah A Frank
Affiliations

US Housing insecurity and the health of very young children

Diana Becker Cutts et al. Am J Public Health. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated the association between housing insecurity and the health of very young children.

Methods: Between 1998 and 2007, we interviewed 22,069 low-income caregivers with children younger than 3 years who were seen in 7 US urban medical centers. We assessed food insecurity, child health status, developmental risk, weight, and housing insecurity for each child's household. Our indicators for housing insecurity were crowding (> 2 people/bedroom or>1 family/residence) and multiple moves (≥ 2 moves within the previous year).

Results: After adjusting for covariates, crowding was associated with household food insecurity compared with the securely housed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 1.43), as were multiple moves (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.59, 2.28). Crowding was also associated with child food insecurity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.34, 1.63), and so were multiple moves (AOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 2.13, 3.08). Multiple moves were associated with fair or poor child health (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI =1.25, 1.76), developmental risk (AOR 1.71; 95% CI = 1.33, 2.21), and lower weight-for-age z scores (-0.082 vs -0.013; P= .02).

Conclusions: Housing insecurity is associated with poor health, lower weight, and developmental risk among young children. Policies that decrease housing insecurity can promote the health of young children and should be a priority.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Description of analytic sample selection: 7 US cities, 1998–2007. Note. PEDS = Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status survey. aRespondents who did not complete interview process. bi.e., military housing.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Adjusted mean weight-for-age z scores by housing group: children younger than 3 years, 7 US cities, 1998–2007. Note. Least squares mean weight-for-age z scores by levels of housing insecurity were adjusted for site, race/ethnicity, US-born mother versus immigrant mother, maternal age, marital status, caregiver education, mean child's age, mean number of children in the home, household employment, breastfeeding, and low birth weight.* P = .02.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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