The Neighborhood Environment and Hispanic/Latino Health. Issue 1 (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Heredia, Natalia I.; Xu, Tianlin; Lee, MinJae; McNeill, Lorna H.; Reininger, Belinda M.
• Is Part Of: American journal of health promotion. Volume 36:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 38
• Page End: 45
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: community -- specific settings -- active living -- built environment -- opportunity -- physical activity -- health disparities -- mental health -- Hispanic -- Latino -- Mexican American -- environmental health -- c-reactive protein -- inflammation -- metabolic syndrome -- type 2 diabetes -- depression -- anxiety -- neighborhood -- crime -- traffic; Health promotion -- Periodicals; Health Promotion; Health promotion; Periodicals; Periodicals; 613.05
• DOI: 10.1177/08901171211022677
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0890-1171

Abstract

Purpose: Hispanic/Latino adults on the Texas-Mexico border have high rates of chronic disease. Neighborhoods can influence health, though there is a limited research on neighborhood environment and health in Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of neighborhood environment with health variables in Hispanic/Latino adults, including physical activity [PA], depression, anxiety, and lab-assessed conditions (type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation). Methods: Participants were randomly-selected from a Hispanic/Latino cohort on the Texas-Mexico border. Neighborhood environment, self-reported PA, anxiety, and depression were assessed through questionnaires. Laboratory values determined Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein (CRP). We conducted multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses to assess the associations of neighborhood environment and health variables, controlling for covariates. Results: Participants (n = 495) were mostly females, without insurance. After controlling for covariates, crime (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.59 (95%CI 1.06-2.38), no streetlights (AOR = 1.65, 95%CI 1.06-2.57), and traffic (AOR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.16-2.62) were all significantly associated with anxiety. Only traffic was significantly associated with depression (AOR = 1.61, 95%CI1.05-2.47). A lack of nearby shops (AOR = 0.57, 95%CI 0.38-0.84) and no one out doing PA (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.83) were both significantly associated with lower odds of meeting PA guidelines. A lack of nearby shops was associated with a 26% increase in the CRP value (β = 0.26, 95%CI 0.04-0.47). Discussion: Several neighborhood environment variables were significantly associated with mental health, PA and CRP, though estimates were small. The neighborhood environment is a meaningful contextual variable to consider for health-related interventions in Hispanic/Latino adults, though more study is needed regarding the magnitude of the estimates. Trial registration: NCT01168765.