scholarly journals Social and Health Disparities Among Relocated Public Housing Residents by Age: Implications for Aging in Place

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 484-484
Author(s):  
Nia Reed ◽  
Tiffany Young
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Forced Relocation

Abstract Research illustrates that neighborhood outcomes (including the built environment) influence the mental and physical health of vulnerable older adults (OA). Many OA aim to age-in-place but aging-in-place is less realistic for low-income OA because of gentrification and forced relocation. Examining neighborhood context is vital to understanding how the places we live contribute to well-being, yet, there is insufficient research on the biopsychosocial effects of forced relocation on low-income OA. To address this gap, our study uses aging-in-place theory to understand the association of neighborhood and health outcomes of relocated and nonrelocated low-income OA in public housing. This study includes three waves of data from Georgia State University’s Urban Health Initiative Study. Participants (n=225) were categorized by age (young-old = 50-64; old-old = 65-74; and oldest-old = 75+). We conducted multivariate regression analyses to highlight relationships between neighborhood and health outcomes, and relocation. We used geocoding to provide within-group analysis of relocated residents to determine if geographic proximity to former public housing communities affected neighborhood and health outcomes. Results show that relocated OA have worse informal social control and neighborhood satisfaction outcomes, but better built environment conditions than those who aged-in-place. Mental health and physical functioning worsened for relocated OA. Relocation was associated with reduced social cohesion and worse built environment conditions for the oldest-old. Moderation analysis illustrated that OA who relocated farther away had worse neighborhood outcomes. Considering the importance of aging-in-place to OA well-being, policymakers may reconsider forced relocation and allocating funds to enhance neighborhoods.

Interactions between human behaviour and the built environment in terms of facility management

Facilities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darja Kobal Grum
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Behaviour ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In comparison with the relations between the human and natural environments that have been the central focus of environmental psychology for many years, the interactions between the psychological processes underlying human behaviour and the built environment have only recently regained the interest of researchers. In this paper, the author first discusses the reasons for the slower development of human – built environment relations. Afterwards, the author systematically examines the impact that the research of environmental stress, namely, poor housing and poor neighbourhood quality, had on the contemporary understanding of human – built environment relations. Design/methodology/approach The author focuses on social, biophilic and evidence-based design. The author proposes deeper psychological engagement in correlation with human behaviour, psychological well-being and society. The author highlights the inclusion of psychologists in interdisciplinary research teams addressing the development of sustainable solutions to the issues of residential environments. Findings It has been shown that substandard house quality, high noise, lack of natural light in houses, poorer physical quality of urban neighbourhoods, living in a low-income neighbourhood, etc. are linked to elevated physiological and psychological stress. Despite this evidence, there is still a gap between building designers and building users in modern industrialised societies, which could deepen tenants’ dissatisfaction due to specific behavioural needs and consequently lower their psychological well-being and health risk behaviour. Research limitations/implications These are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources. Originality/value The major contributions of this paper are as follows. If the environment is understood as a dynamic, constantly changing and complex system of a wide range of players, the author can discern in this environment a dynamic that is otherwise characteristic of emotional dynamics. Expressed participants’ high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.

Community Needs Assessment among Latino Families in an Urban Public Housing Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Escobedo ◽  
Karina Dominguez Gonzalez ◽  
Jill Kuhlberg ◽  
Maria ‘Lou’ Calanche ◽  
Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Latino Families ◽  
Community Advisory Board ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Community Needs

Studies examining the health of public housing residents are limited. In response, community-based participatory research principles were used to develop an intervention aimed at improving health outcomes related to multifactorial risk behaviors among Latino families living in a low-income neighborhood. A two-part needs assessment was completed to guide the intervention: interviews with parents ( n = 10) and a group model building (GMB) workshop with youth and parents ( n = 40) to explore the parent-youth dynamic. Interviews indicated that poverty, youth disobedience, and inadequate communication between parents and youth led to parental stress. During the workshop, balancing and reinforcing feedback loops involving Communication, Trust, and Respect between youth and parents were identified. Based on these findings and collaboration with a community advisory board, a bilingual, mindfulness-based meditation intervention was designed to address community needs: positive parent-child interaction emphasizing trust and communication, stress reduction, and family well-being.

Designing Healthier Built Environments

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Gullón ◽  
Gina S. Lovasi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Street Connectivity ◽  
Research Challenges

The “built environment” is comprised of human-made structures and systems, and aspects include access to and attractiveness of walkable destinations (e.g., retail stores, parks) and community design features (e.g., street connectivity, sidewalk access). A variety of built environment characteristics can influence health outcomes and behaviors, including physical activity, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and mental health, as well as sleep and use of tobacco and alcohol. This chapter discusses the large and complex accumulated research on the built environment as well as the methods used to study it, research challenges, policy implication, and how to bring together partnerships for policy change. This chapter also discusses the research conducted across populations (e.g., children, low-income individuals) and geographies (e.g., urban and rural geographies).

scholarly journals Challenges and Supports to Aging in Place in a Gentrifying Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 873-873
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Laura Richman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Age In Place

Abstract Neighborhoods play a central role in healthy aging, with changes to neighborhoods having a profound impact on older adults’ ability to age in place. Using gentrification as an indicator of neighborhood change and applying the theoretical framework of the Environmental Press model (Lawton and Nahemow, 1973), this study examined the relationship between changing environments, affordable housing, and environmental attributes that support and hinder the health and well-being of older adults. A qualitative, case-study approach was used to interview low-income, majority Black older adults in a gentrifying area of Washington DC. 32 individuals (16 in non-profit and 16 in for-profit affordable housing) aged 55 and older participated in semi-structured interviews on perceptions of gentrification, neighborhood change, and challenges and supports to aging in place. Transcripts were then analyzed using the framework method of analysis. Although participants generally reported that gentrification improved their neighborhood’s built environment, many attributed it to a decline in social capital. Affordable housing provided an ability to age in place, though participants expressed uncertainty over their long-term ability to age in the context of continuing change. These findings suggest that while the physical changes accompanying gentrification may support older adults’ ability to age in place, its detrimental impact on social capital further increases their risk for social isolation. While affordable housing may enable older adults to age in place, fostering a greater sense of permanence and well-being will require additional policies that both increase accessibility to the physical amenities provided by gentrification and preserve older adults’ social capital.

Forced relocation between nursing homes: residents' health outcomes and potential moderators

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquetta M Holder ◽  
David Jolley
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
Forced Relocation ◽  
Poor Outcomes

SummaryThat transfer of older people from one institution to another is detrimental to well-being, health and survival has been reported for 50 years. This has led to fear, anger and legal challenges when closures occur. Previous reviews identified accounts of relocation followed by adverse outcomes and others where problems were avoided or benefits claimed. This paper reviews the last twelve years of literature on health outcomes following involuntary relocation between nursing homes. Reports of post-move mortality, physical or psychological health suggest and confirm that relocation without preparation carries higher risk of poor outcomes than moves that are orderly and include preparation. The literature on the care home closure process, admissions and individual transfers offers insights into practices that might help minimize adverse outcomes. A number of agencies have produced helpful guidelines. How these are implemented needs to be monitored and linked to in-depth studies of sample closures.

scholarly journals Exploring longitudinal associations between neighborhood disadvantage and cortisol levels in early childhood

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1649-1662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric D. Finegood ◽  
Jason R. D. Rarick ◽  
Clancy Blair ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Salivary Cortisol ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Cortisol Levels

AbstractChildren who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience chronic stressors that generate “wear” on stress regulatory systems including the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. This can have long-term consequences for health and well-being. Prior research has examined the role of proximal family and home contributions to HPA axis functioning. However, there is evidence to suggest that more distal levels of context, including neighborhoods, also matter. Prior evidence has primarily focused on adolescents and adults, with little evidence linking the neighborhood context with HPA activity in infancy and toddlerhood. We tested whether neighborhood disadvantage (indexed by US Census data) was associated with basal salivary cortisol levels at 7, 15, and 24 months of child age in a large sample of families (N = 1,292) residing in predominately low-income and rural communities in the United States. Multilevel models indicated that neighborhood disadvantage was positively associated with salivary cortisol levels and that this effect emerged across time. This effect was moderated by the race/ethnicity of children such that the association was only observed in White children in our sample. Findings provide preliminary evidence that the neighborhood context is associated with stress regulation during toddlerhood, elucidating a need for future work to address possible mechanisms.

scholarly journals INTEREST GROUP SESSION—ENVIRONMENTAL GERONTOLOGY: PRECARIOUS AGING IN PLACE? CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON AGING IN CONTEXTS OF INSTABILITY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S561-S562
Author(s):  
Jessica M Finlay ◽  
Jarmin C Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Methodological Innovation ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Environmental Gerontology

Abstract Population aging and longevity in an era of immense environmental instability raises concerns about the precarity of aging and insecurity in later life. From home- and neighborhood-level insecurities to uncertainties generated by climate change or broad economic and sociopolitical upheaval across the globe, the factors contributing to instabilities relevant to older populations are heterogeneous in scale and cause. This symposium focuses on understanding older people’s needs and experiences in the context of unstable social, economic, political, and natural environments. The first paper investigates effects of socio-environmental disruption on the well-being, recovery, and resilience of older adults in Louisiana and Mississippi deeply affected by Hurricane Katrina. The second paper explores the confinement, exclusion, and loss of autonomy, as well as the creative negotiation and sociopolitical reclamation of space, among disabled older adults experiencing houselessness. The third paper discusses filmmaking with formerly homeless older adults as a method to engage marginalized individuals in community-based participatory research and better understand nuanced meanings of ‘home’. The fourth paper explores how transportation and technology can serve as both facilitators and barriers to accessibility and social connectivity among ethnically diverse low-income older adults. Altogether, the papers critically discuss novel scholarship and applied research in environmental gerontology from the micro to macro scale. The symposium inspires methodological innovation and critical research directions, and informs place-based policymaking to address diverse contexts of aging in place.

Man shall not live by bread alone: the role of perceived emotional support in low-income adults’ health outcomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-253
Author(s):  
Kang Namkoong ◽  
Samantha J Stanley ◽  
Jiyoun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

Abstract Background Adults with low income have limited access to valuable health resources thus presenting a major obstacle to improving their health. Although there are diverse health enhancement programs for low-income populations, relatively few focus on emotional support despite the positive impact of perceived emotional support on health. This study examines the interaction of perceived emotional support and income on the overall health status and psychological well-being of adults with low income. Methods Secondary data were collected from the Health Information National Trends Survey (Cycle 4). A total of 3677 respondents completed the survey, including 889 adults with low income, as determined by their eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Ordinary-least square hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test main and interaction effects. Results Perceived emotional support moderated the relationship between SNAP eligibility and health outcomes. Lacking an emotional support network has greater detrimental effects on the overall health and psychological well-being of people with low income compared to similar persons with higher income. Conclusion These findings suggest the need for health programs that enhance access to emotional support for adults with low income.

scholarly journals Energy Justice in Slum Rehabilitation Housing: An Empirical Exploration of Built Environment Effects on Socio-Cultural Energy Demand

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramit Debnath ◽  
Gianna Monteiro Farias Simoes ◽  
Ronita Bardhan ◽  
Solange Maria Leder ◽  
Roberto Lamberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environment Design ◽  
Energy Services ◽  
Design Elements

The interaction of energy and buildings institutes a complex socio-technical system that influences the eudemonic well-being of the occupants. Understanding these drivers become even more necessary in impoverished areas where occupants struggle to avail essential energy services. The literature indicates that energy injustice can be addressed through provisioning of comfort, cleanliness, and convenience (3Cs) as critical cultural energy services in low-income areas. This study investigates the socio-architectural influence for slum rehabilitation housing (SRH) on cultural energy services that can promote distributive justice. The methodology adopts an empirical route using data from 200 household surveys from SRH in Mumbai, India, and João Pessoa, Brazil. A model between the 3Cs and socio-architectural elements was established using Firth’s binary logistic regression. The survey results showed that the SRH in Brazil had twice the appliance ownership as compared to the Mumbai SRH. There were distinct energy service preferences in the study areas, despite common poverty burdens. The empirical results showed that the lack of socio-architectural design elements like open spaces, privacy, and walkability in the study areas demanded specific comfort and convenience appliances as a counter-response. A critical policy implication drawn was on the need for socio-architectural inclusive energy planning for distributive justice in poverty. Mitigating rising energy demand through appropriate built environment design of slum rehabilitation housing can contribute to fulfilling the UN’s SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities) goals.

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