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. 2014 Nov;104(11):2103-13.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302133. Epub 2014 Sep 11.

The effect of neighborhood socioeconomic status on education and health outcomes for children living in social housing

Patricia J Martens  1 , Daniel G Chateau, Elaine M J Burland, Gregory S Finlayson, Mark J Smith, Carole R Taylor, Marni D Brownell, Nathan C Nickel, Alan Katz, James M Bolton; PATHS Equity Team
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The effect of neighborhood socioeconomic status on education and health outcomes for children living in social housing

Patricia J Martens et al. Am J Public Health. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: We explored differences in health and education outcomes between children living in social housing and not, and effects of social housing's neighborhood socioeconomic status.

Methods: In this cohort study, we used the population-based repository of administrative data at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We included children aged 0 to 19 years in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in fiscal years 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 (n = 13,238 social housing; n = 174,017 others). We examined 5 outcomes: age-2 complete immunization, a school-readiness measure, adolescent pregnancy (ages 15-19 years), grade-9 completion, and high-school completion. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equation modeling generated rates. We derived neighborhood income quintiles (Q1 lowest, Q5 highest) from average household income census data.

Results: Children in social housing fared worse than comparative children within each neighborhood income quintile. When we compared children in social housing by quintile, preschool indicators (immunization and school readiness) were similar, but adolescent outcomes (grade-9 and high-school completion, adolescent pregnancy) were better in Q3 to Q5.

Conclusions: Children in social housing had poorer health and education outcomes than all others, but living in social housing in wealthier areas was associated with better adolescent outcomes.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Placement of social housing units in Winnipeg, by 72 Community Centre Areas and neighborhood income quintiles (2006 census data). Note. Neighborhood income quintile groupings of the Community Centre Areas are from lowest (Q1) to highest (Q5) income quintile.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Educational outcomes for children living in social housing and all others by neighborhood income quintile and (a) proportion of kindergarten students (2005–2006 to 2006–2007) not ready for school in 1 or more domains of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) and (b) grade-12 completion (proportion of grade-9 students 2006–2007 to 2008–2009 followed for 6 years): Winnipeg. Note. Whiskers indicate 95% confidence intervals. Linear trends by income quintile for those not ready for school in 1+ EDI domains: housing not significant (P = .42); all others significant (P < .001). Linear trends by income quintile for grade-12 completion: housing significant (P < .001); all others significant (P < .001).
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Comment in

  • Martens et al. respond.
    Martens PJ, Chateau DG, Burland EM, Finlayson GS, Smith MJ, Taylor CR, Brownell MD, Nickel NC, Katz A, Bolton JM; PATHS Equity Team. Martens PJ, et al. Am J Public Health. 2015 Feb;105(2):e2. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302460. Am J Public Health. 2015. PMID: 25521888 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Crowding as a possible factor for health outcomes in children.
    Inglis DJ. Inglis DJ. Am J Public Health. 2015 Feb;105(2):e1-2. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302458. Am J Public Health. 2015. PMID: 25521900 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. Finlayson G, Smith M, Burchill C . Social Housing in Manitoba Part 1: Manitoba Social Housing Data. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy; 2013.
    1. Willms JD. Ten hypotheses about socioeconomic gradients and community differences in children’s developmental outcomes. 2003. Available at: http://publications.gc.ca/site/archivee-archived.html?url=http://publica.... Accessed July 29, 2014.
    1. Carpiano RM, Lloyd JEV, Hertzman C. Concentrated affluence, concentrated disadvantage, and children’s readiness for school: a population-based, multi-level investigation. Soc Sci Med. 2009;69(3):420–432. - PubMed
    1. Lapointe VR, Ford L, Zumbo BD. Examining the relationship between neighborhood environment and school readiness for kindergarten children. Early Educ Dev. 2007;18(3):473–495.
    1. Burdick-Will J, Ludwig J, Raudenbush SW, Sampson RJ, Sanbonmatsu L, Sharkey P. Converging evidence for neighborhood effects on children’s test scores: an experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational comparison. 2010. Available at: http://cas.uchicago.edu/workshops/education/files/2010/03/Burdick-Will-E.... Accessed July 29, 2014.

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