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Prior research suggests that socioeconomic standing during the early years of life, particularly in utero, is associated with child health. However, it is unclear whether socioeconomic benefits are only maximized at very young ages. Moreover, given the link between socioeconomic status (SES) and race, research is inconclusive whether any SES benefits during those younger ages would uniformly benefit all racial and ethnic groups. Using 1986–2014 data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY79), this study examines the impact of socioeconomic timing on child weight outcomes by race. Specifically, this research investigates whether specific points exist where socioeconomic investment would have higher returns on child health. Findings suggest that both the timing and the type of socioeconomic exposure is important to understanding child weight status. SES, particularly mother’s employment and father’s education, is important in determining child health, and each measure is linked to weight gain differently for White, Black, and Hispanic children at specific ages. Policies such as granting more educational access for men and work-family balance for women are discussed.

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Background In view of evidence that African American cancer survivors experience the greatest challenges in maintaining adequate levels of physical activity, this cross-section study was designed to determine whether individual and residential environment characteristics are associated with physical activity in this population. Methods A total of 275 breast cancer survivors completed self-report items measuring sociodemographic variables, physical activity, and select barriers to physical activity in Spring of 2012. Neighborhood disadvantage variables were extracted from national databases. Regression models were computed to assess relationships. Results Traditional correlates of smoking status and the presence of health complications were associated with physical activity. In addition, the relative number of renters versus homeowners in one’s neighborhood was associated with lower levels of physical activity in the context of individual level barriers (i.e., interest and space), which were also associated with lower levels of physical activity. Discussion Higher renter rates and individual barriers both contribute to lower levels of physical activity in African American breast cancer survivors. These data suggest that the potential for constant residential turnover (via rentership) and perceived barriers may increase physical inactivity even where facilities may be available.

Objectives-This study explores differences in who smokes (smoker type) and exposure to smoking (pack-years) between Canada and the US. Both countries have policies to limit the number of smokers and smoking-related deaths. Methods-This research usesThe Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH) and employs multinomial logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression.Results-In Canada, native-born, young, White males without a degree, with poor health and who had been previously married predominate in smoking. This profile is the same for the US. However, different characteristics predict exposure to smoking for the two countries. Native-born males without a degree, with poor health and who had been previously married smoked more cigarettes per day in Canada. For the US, younger individuals smoked more cigarettes per day.Conclusions-If countries want to focus on limiting the number of new cases of smokers, the target population is different from the target population that should be used if countries are interested in converting smokers into non-smokers, based on the demographic analyses presented.

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This paper considers the ways in which neighbourhood perceptions can differentially affect residential mobility, particularly in low-income areas. Given the long history of understanding the relationship between neighbourhood context and residential mobility, this study includes measures of satisfaction, safety, decay and neighbourly agency to understand mobility. Using data from the Making Connections Initiative, this paper uses a unique panel survey across neighbourhoods in 10 US cities undergoing spatial and/or demographic transitions to analyse the extent to which neighbourhood perceptions are associated with residential mobility. By employing a multilevel structural equation model, the study accounts for neighbourhood perceptions, neighbourhood demographics and mobility risk over time. The results show that perceptions of neighbourhood context matter more than the actual neighbourhood setting. These findings highlight the continued importance of subjective rather than objective measures of neighbourhood conditions in understanding residential mobility.