Perceived Neighborhood Problems and Quality of Life, Physical Functioning, and Depressive Symptoms Among Adults with Asthma

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2006 Mar 31

PMID 16571704

Citations 39

Authors

Irene H Yen

Edward H Yelin

Patricia Katz

Mark D Eisner

Paul D Blanc

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated associations between perceived neighborhood problems and quality of life (QOL), physical functioning, and depressive symptoms among adults with asthma.

Methods: Using cross-sectional data from adults with asthma in northern California (n=435), we examined associations between 5 types of perceived neighborhood problems (traffic, noise, trash, smells, and fires) and asthma-specific QOL (Marks instrument), physical functioning (Short Form-12 physical component summary), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression). We used multivariate regression analysis.

Results: When asthma severity and sociodemographics were taken into account, people reporting a score of 8 or higher on a scale of 0 to 25 for serious problems (the top quartile of seriousness) in their neighborhoods had significantly poorer QOL scores (mean difference=5.91; standard error [SE]=1.63), poorer physical functioning (mean difference=-3.04; SE=1.27), and almost a fivefold increase in depressive symptoms (odds ratio=4.79; 95% confidence interval=2.41, 9.52).

Conclusions: A high level of perceived neighborhood problems was associated with poorer QOL, poorer physical functioning, and increased depressive symptoms among people with asthma when disease severity and sociodemographic factors were taken into account.

Citing Articles

Air Quality, Pollution Perception, and Residents' Health: Evidence from China.

Zhu J, Lu C Toxics. 2023; 11(7).

PMID: 37505557 PMC: 10383338. DOI: 10.3390/toxics11070591.

Association between air quality satisfaction, family relationships, and depression symptoms among middle-aged and elderly chinese people: the mediation role of perceived health status.

Niu Z, Zhai M, Dong Y, Wen W, Xue L, Aosiman M BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):2439.

PMID: 36575446 PMC: 9795640. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14711-7.

The Association of Neighborhood Changes with Health-Related Quality of Life in the Women's Health Initiative.

Chrisinger B, Springfield S, Whitsel E, Shadyab A, Krok-Schoen J, Garcia L Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(9).

PMID: 35564704 PMC: 9103323. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095309.

Contribution of Individual and Neighborhood Factors to Racial Disparities in Respiratory Outcomes.

Ejike C, Woo H, Galiatsatos P, Paulin L, Krishnan J, Cooper C Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020; 203(8):987-997.

PMID: 33007162 PMC: 8048743. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202002-0253OC.

Neighborhood Social Conditions, Family Relationships, and Childhood Asthma.

Chen E, Hayen R, Le V, Austin M, Shalowitz M, Story R Pediatrics. 2019; 144(2).

PMID: 31320467 PMC: 6856806. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3300.

References

Robert S . Community-level socioeconomic status effects on adult health. J Health Soc Behav. 1998; 39(1):18-37. View

Blanc P, Eisner M, Israel L, Yelin E . The association between occupation and asthma in general medical practice. Chest. 1999; 115(5):1259-64. DOI: 10.1378/chest.115.5.1259. View

Rietveld S, Creer T . Psychiatric factors in asthma: implications for diagnosis and therapy. Am J Respir Med. 2004; 2(1):1-10. DOI: 10.1007/BF03256634. View

Sheppard L, Levy D, Norris G, Larson T, Koenig J . Effects of ambient air pollution on nonelderly asthma hospital admissions in Seattle, Washington, 1987-1994. Epidemiology. 1999; 10(1):23-30. View

Wilhelm M, Ritz B . Residential proximity to traffic and adverse birth outcomes in Los Angeles county, California, 1994-1996. Environ Health Perspect. 2003; 111(2):207-16. PMC: 1241352. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.5688. View

Carstairs V, Morris R . Deprivation: explaining differences in mortality between Scotland and England and Wales. BMJ. 1989; 299(6704):886-9. PMC: 1837760. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.299.6704.886. View

Duhme H, Weiland S, Keil U, Kraemer B, Schmid M, Stender M . The association between self-reported symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis and self-reported traffic density on street of residence in adolescents. Epidemiology. 1996; 7(6):578-82. DOI: 10.1097/00001648-199611000-00003. View

Feldman P, Steptoe A . How neighborhoods and physical functioning are related: the roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status, perceived neighborhood strain, and individual health risk factors. Ann Behav Med. 2004; 27(2):91-9. DOI: 10.1207/s15324796abm2702_3. View

LeClere F, Rogers R, Peters K . Neighborhood social context and racial differences in women's heart disease mortality. J Health Soc Behav. 1998; 39(2):91-107. View

10.

Blanc P, Cisternas M, Smith S, Yelin E . Asthma, employment status, and disability among adults treated by pulmonary and allergy specialists. Chest. 1996; 109(3):688-96. DOI: 10.1378/chest.109.3.688. View

11.

Eisner M, Katz P, Yelin E, Shiboski S, Blanc P . Risk factors for hospitalization among adults with asthma: the influence of sociodemographic factors and asthma severity. Respir Res. 2001; 2(1):53-60. PMC: 56211. DOI: 10.1186/rr37. View

12.

Diez-Roux A, Nieto F, Muntaner C, Tyroler H, Comstock G, Shahar E . Neighborhood environments and coronary heart disease: a multilevel analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 1997; 146(1):48-63. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009191. View

13.

Eames M, Ben-Shlomo Y, Marmot M . Social deprivation and premature mortality: regional comparison across England. BMJ. 1993; 307(6912):1097-102. PMC: 1679128. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.307.6912.1097. View

14.

Blanc P, Katz P, Henke J, Smith S, Yelin E . Pulmonary and allergy subspecialty care in adults with asthma. Treatment, use of services, and health outcomes. West J Med. 1998; 167(6):398-407. PMC: 1304718. View

15.

Evans G, English K . The environment of poverty: multiple stressor exposure, psychophysiological stress, and socioemotional adjustment. Child Dev. 2002; 73(4):1238-48. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.00469. View

16.

Koenig J . Air pollution and asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999; 104(4 Pt 1):717-22. DOI: 10.1016/s0091-6749(99)70280-0. View

17.

Balfour J, Kaplan G . Neighborhood environment and loss of physical function in older adults: evidence from the Alameda County Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2002; 155(6):507-15. DOI: 10.1093/aje/155.6.507. View

18.

Wright R, Mitchell H, Visness C, Cohen S, Stout J, Evans R . Community violence and asthma morbidity: the Inner-City Asthma Study. Am J Public Health. 2004; 94(4):625-32. PMC: 1448309. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.94.4.625. View

19.

Rumbak M, Kelso T, Arheart K, Self T . Perception of anxiety as a contributing factor of asthma: indigent versus nonindigent. J Asthma. 1993; 30(3):165-9. DOI: 10.3109/02770909309054514. View

20.

Marks G, Dunn S, Woolcock A . A scale for the measurement of quality of life in adults with asthma. J Clin Epidemiol. 1992; 45(5):461-72. DOI: 10.1016/0895-4356(92)90095-5. View