Neighborhood Opportunity and Life Expectancy at Birth

Abstract

Where children live has substantial implications for their health and longevity. Elsewhere in JAMA Network Open, Shanahan et al 1 report the results of a large cross-sectional study, which includes data from 65 662 Census tracts representing almost 90% of the US population, finding that neighborhood conditions and access to resources are significantly associated with life expectancy at birth. Using merged data from the Child Opportunity Index (COI) 2.0 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention US Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project, the authors found a stepwise reduction in life expectancy as childhood opportunity decreased; life expectancy in Census tracts with very low opportunity was 7 years lower than in Census tracts with very high opportunity.Notably, neighborhood opportunity explained almost 50% of the variation in life expectancy at birth, suggesting that the surroundings in which children are raised play an important role in shaping their future.

Where a child lives matters: neighborhood deprivation and pediatric obesity

“…Neighborhood deprivation is one component of the social determinants of health (SDOH). The presence of early life exposures that predispose to the development of obesity in youth are more prevalent among persons residing within higher deprivation communities [14 ▪▪ ,15]. Factors such as close proximity to fast food, insufficient access to healthy food, crime, lack of safe places to exercise [16], negative perceptions regarding the safety of the neighborhood [17 ▪ ], and higher levels of environmental toxins [18 ▪ ], are all potential contributors to the relationship between higher neighborhood deprivation and obesity in youth [1 ▪ ].…”

“…Neighborhood deprivation is not only directly associated with the odds of a youth 0–19 years of age developing obesity [24], but also with poorer overall cardiovascular health status [14 ▪▪ ]. Abnormalities of lipid metabolism are very common among persons with obesity [25].…”