The Great Recession and Immune Function

Abstract

The Great Recession precipitated unprecedented home foreclosures increases, but documentation of related neighborhood changes and population health is scant. Using the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (N = 277), we examined associations between neighborhood-level recession indicators and thymic function, a life course immunological health indicator. In covariate-adjusted multilevel models, each 10 percentage point increase in abandoned home prevalence and 1 percentage point increase in 2009 home foreclosures was associated with 1.7-year and 3.3-year increases in thymic aging, respectively. Associations attenuated after adjustment for neighborhood-level social cohesion, suggesting community ties may buffer recession-related immune aging. Effects of neighborhood stressors were strongest in middle-income households, supporting theory of excess vulnerability in this group. Future research should assess whether ongoing foreclosure and blight reduction efforts improve health for residents of recession impacted neighborhoods.

Keywords: Detroit; immunity; immunosenescence; neighborhood; social determinants of health; thymic function.

Figure 1. Conceptual Model, Neighborhood Economic Stressors on Immune Function

Source: Authors’ calculations.

Figure 2. Timeline for Relevant Measurements, Detroit Neighborhood Health Study

Source: Authors’ calculations from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, 2008–2013.

Figure 3. Spatial Distributions by Neighborhood (N = 52)

Source: Authors’ calculations from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, 2008, and Detroit Police Department 2009.

Figure 4. Regression Coefficients and 95% Confidence Intervals, Mediation Analysis, Abandoned Homes

Source: Authors’ calculations from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, 2008, and Detroit Police Department 2009 ^aModel adjusted for age, sex, baseline IL-6, and employment status. ^bModel adjusted for age, sex, baseline IL-6, employment status, abandoned home prevalence, and 2009 foreclosure prevalence. ^cModel adjusted for social cohesion, age, sex, and employment status. *significant at the α = .05 level.

Figure 5. Regression Coefficients and 95% Confidence Intervals, Mediation Analysis, Foreclosure Rate

Source: Authors’ calculations from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, 2008, and Detroit Police Department 2009. ^aModel adjusted for age, sex, baseline IL-6, and employment status. ^bModel adjusted for age, sex, baseline IL-6, employment status, abandoned home prevalence, and 2009 foreclosure prevalence. ^cModel adjusted for social cohesion, age, sex, and employment status. *significant at the α = .05 level.