Do poorer people have poorer access to local resources and facilities? The distribution of local resources by area deprivation in Glasgow, Scotland

Abstract

It has commonly been suggested that in modern cities individual or household deprivation (for example, low income or education) is amplified by area level deprivation (for example, lack of jobs or good schools), in ways which damage the health of the poorest and increase health inequalities. The aim of this study was to determine the location of a range of resources and exposures by deprivation in a UK city. We examined the location of 42 resources in Glasgow City, Scotland, in 2005–2006, by quintile of small area deprivation. Measures included number per 1000 population, network distance to nearest resource, and percentage of data zones containing at least one of each type of resource. Twelve resources had higher density in, and/or were closer to or more common in, more deprived neighbourhoods: public nurseries, public primary schools, police stations, pharmacies, credit unions, post offices, bus stops, bingo halls, public swimming pools, public sports centres, outdoor play areas, and vacant and derelict land/buildings. Sixteen had higher density in, and/or were closer to, or more common in, more affluent neighbourhoods: public secondary schools, private schools, banks, building societies, museums/art galleries, railway stations, subway stations, tennis courts, bowling greens, private health clubs, private swimming pools, colleges, A & E hospitals, parks, waste disposal sites, and tourist attractions. Private nurseries, Universities, fire stations, general, dental and ophthalmic practices, pawn brokers, ATMs, supermarkets, fast food chains, cafes, public libraries, golf courses, and cinemas showed no clear pattern by deprivation. Thus it appears that in the early 21st century access to resources does not always disadvantage poorer neighbourhoods in the UK. We conclude that we need to ensure that theories and policies are based on up-to-date and context-specific empirical evidence on the distribution of neighbourhood resources, and to engage in further research on interactions between individual and environmental factors in shaping health and health inequalities.

Disparities in Built and Natural Features of Urban Parks: Comparisons by Neighborhood Level Race/Ethnicity and Income

“…First, findings are consistent with environmental justice and deprivation amplification frameworks that contend that the availability of health-promoting resources and their quality and condition vary across areas of disparate demographic composition. 25,59 Second, findings suggested a link between micro-level features and how they may amplify area advantages and disadvantages. For example, disparities in the number and or condition of park features may prevent use and therefore indirectly compound area health disparities.…”

Exploring the Distribution of Park Availability, Features, and Quality Across Kansas City, Missouri by Income and Race/Ethnicity: an Environmental Justice Investigation

“…For race/ethnicity, we identified the percentage of minority residents, defined as non-White and Hispanic White persons, and tracts were again categorized into even tertiles (low, medium, and high percent minority). For both income and percent minority, tracts were grouped into categories in order to ease interpretation between high versus medium versus low income or percent minority areas and to maintain consistency with most past studies exploring similar issues (17,19,20,(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

“…Like other studies, we then examined disparities in each facility or amenity individually (26,27). Specifically, we calculated the proportion of parks in each tract that contained each type of facility or amenity (e.g., 2 of 5 parks=0.40)…”

“…However, other studies have reported that park availability is equal or greater in lowincome and/or high minority neighborhoods (23)(24)(25)(26), so further research is warranted.…”

The distribution of GPs in Ireland in relation to deprivation

“…A study in the North East of England found better access to GPs in more deprived areas (Adams and White, 2005). More recent findings showed no significant difference in access to GP surgeries by deprivation level in Glasgow (Macintyre et al, 2008). A number of studies on service provision in deprived areas point towards older GPs, poorer standards in premises and an increased number of practices without training status (Williams et al, 2004).…”