Objective and Perceived Ethnic Density and Health: Findings From a United Kingdom General Population Survey Export

@article{citeulike:5298219, abstract = {Studies indicate an ethnic density effect, whereby an increasing proportion of persons of the same ethnicity as oneself (co-ethnics) in one's area of residence is associated with reduced risk of morbidity among ethnic minorities, though evidence is mixed. Measures of ethnic density are commonly taken from small-area census data using predefined categories of ethnicity. In a United Kingdom study, the authors compared these measures with perceived ethnic density, based on self-reported proportion of co-ethnics in the area. Using 2005 Home Office Citizenship Survey data linked to the 2001 United Kingdom Census, they found moderate-sized correlations between perceived and measured ethnic density which varied across ethnic groups (r = 0.34-0.65). Perceived ethnic density underestimated measured levels for whites and overestimated measured levels for ethnic minorities. Compared with participants in areas where less than half of residents were co-ethnics, those reporting a perceived ethnic density of more than half tended to have less limiting long-term illness (for all ethnic minorities combined, odds ratio = 0.81, 95\% confidence interval: 0.63, 1.04) after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic position, ethnicity, area deprivation, and measured ethnic density. After adjustment for perceived ethnic density, there was no evidence of a protective association for measured ethnic density, except for Caribbeans. Perceived ethnic density may reflect individual experiences of frequency and intensity of contact with co-ethnics, which may explain why it was more consistently related to lower morbidity risk. 10.1093/aje/kwp160}, author = {Stafford, M. and Becares, L. and Nazroo, J.}, citeulike-article-id = {5298219}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwp160}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/170/4/484}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608764}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=19608764}, day = {15}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwp160}, journal = {Am. J. Epidemiol.}, keywords = {ethnic-density, health, inequalities, neighborhoods, race, socialnetworks, spatial}, month = {August}, number = {4}, pages = {484--493}, posted-at = {2009-07-29 13:56:59}, priority = {4}, title = {Objective and Perceived Ethnic Density and Health: Findings From a United Kingdom General Population Survey}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwp160}, volume = {170}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:5298219 L3 - citeulike-article-id:5298219 N2 - Studies indicate an ethnic density effect, whereby an increasing proportion of persons of the same ethnicity as oneself (co-ethnics) in one's area of residence is associated with reduced risk of morbidity among ethnic minorities, though evidence is mixed. Measures of ethnic density are commonly taken from small-area census data using predefined categories of ethnicity. In a United Kingdom study, the authors compared these measures with perceived ethnic density, based on self-reported proportion of co-ethnics in the area. Using 2005 Home Office Citizenship Survey data linked to the 2001 United Kingdom Census, they found moderate-sized correlations between perceived and measured ethnic density which varied across ethnic groups (r = 0.34-0.65). Perceived ethnic density underestimated measured levels for whites and overestimated measured levels for ethnic minorities. Compared with participants in areas where less than half of residents were co-ethnics, those reporting a perceived ethnic density of more than half tended to have less limiting long-term illness (for all ethnic minorities combined, odds ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.63, 1.04) after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic position, ethnicity, area deprivation, and measured ethnic density. After adjustment for perceived ethnic density, there was no evidence of a protective association for measured ethnic density, except for Caribbeans. Perceived ethnic density may reflect individual experiences of frequency and intensity of contact with co-ethnics, which may explain why it was more consistently related to lower morbidity risk. 10.1093/aje/kwp160 IS - 4 JF - Am. J. Epidemiol. EP - 493 TI - Objective and Perceived Ethnic Density and Health: Findings From a United Kingdom General Population Survey VL - 170 SP - 484 KW - ethnic-density KW - health KW - inequalities KW - neighborhoods KW - race KW - socialnetworks KW - spatial AU - Stafford, M AU - Becares, L AU - Nazroo, J PY - 2009/08/15/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwp160 ER -