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. 2018 May 28;15(6):1092.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061092.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Allostatic Load: A Scoping Review

Ana Isabel Ribeiro  1   2 , Joana Amaro  3 , Cosima Lisi  4 , Silvia Fraga  5   6
Affiliations

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Allostatic Load: A Scoping Review

Ana Isabel Ribeiro et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Residing in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods may pose substantial physiological stress, which can then lead to higher allostatic load (AL), a marker of biological wear and tear that precedes disease. The aim of the present study was to map the current evidence about the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and AL. A scoping review approach was chosen to provide an overview of the type, quantity, and extent of research available. The review was conducted using three bibliographic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) and a standardized protocol. Fourteen studies were identified. Studies were predominantly from the USA, cross-sectional, focused on adults, and involved different races and ethnic groups. A wide range of measures of AL were identified: the mode of the number of biomarkers per study was eight but with large variability (range: 6⁻24). Most studies (n = 12) reported a significant association between neighborhood deprivation and AL. Behaviors and environmental stressors seem to mediate this relationship and associations appear more pronounced among Blacks, men, and individuals with poor social support. Such conclusions have important public health implications as they enforce the idea that neighborhood environment should be improved to prevent physiological dysregulation and consequent chronic diseases.

Keywords: allostatic load; biomarkers; context; cumulative biological risk; health disparities; neighborhood disadvantage; neighborhood effects; poverty; residence characteristics; socioeconomic factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram of the study selection process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Biomarkers used in the included studies according to biological system. DHEA-S = Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; HbA1C = glycosylated hemoglobin; HDL = High-density lipoprotein; HOMA-IR = Homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance; IBIs = Inter-beat intervals; ICAM-1 = Intercellular adhesion molecule 1; IL-6 = Interleukin 6; LDL = Low-density lipoprotein; RMSSD = Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences (Heart rate variability).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Measures of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation used in the included studies: (A) No. of studies using single measures vs. multivariable indexes of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation; (B) Variables included in the multivariable indexes of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Conceptual framework for the associations between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and allostatic load.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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