TY - JOUR
T1 - Intergenerational social networks and health behaviors among children living in public housing
AU - Kennedy-Hendricks, Alene
AU - Schwartz, Heather
AU - Thornton, Rachel Johnson
AU - Griffin, Beth Ann
AU - Green, Harold D.
AU - Kennedy, David P.
AU - Burkhauser, Susan
AU - Pollack, Craig Evan
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - Objectives. In a survey of families living in public housing, we investigated whether caretakers' social networks are linked with children's health status. Methods. In 2011, 209 children and their caretakers living in public housing in suburban Montgomery County, Maryland, were surveyed regarding their health and social networks. We used logistic regression models to examine the associations between the perceived health composition of caretaker social networks and corresponding child health characteristics (e.g., exercise, diet). Results. With each 10% increase in the proportion of the caretaker's social network that exercised regularly, the child's odds of exercising increased by 34% (adjusted odds ratio = 1.34; 95% confidence interval = 1.07, 1.69) after the caretaker's own exercise behavior and the composition of the child's peer network had been taken into account. Although children's overweight or obese status was associated with caretakers' social networks, the results were no longer significant after adjustment for caretakers' own weight status. Conclusions. We found that caretaker social networks are independently associated with certain aspects of child health, suggesting the importance of the broader social environment for low-income children's health.
AB - Objectives. In a survey of families living in public housing, we investigated whether caretakers' social networks are linked with children's health status. Methods. In 2011, 209 children and their caretakers living in public housing in suburban Montgomery County, Maryland, were surveyed regarding their health and social networks. We used logistic regression models to examine the associations between the perceived health composition of caretaker social networks and corresponding child health characteristics (e.g., exercise, diet). Results. With each 10% increase in the proportion of the caretaker's social network that exercised regularly, the child's odds of exercising increased by 34% (adjusted odds ratio = 1.34; 95% confidence interval = 1.07, 1.69) after the caretaker's own exercise behavior and the composition of the child's peer network had been taken into account. Although children's overweight or obese status was associated with caretakers' social networks, the results were no longer significant after adjustment for caretakers' own weight status. Conclusions. We found that caretaker social networks are independently associated with certain aspects of child health, suggesting the importance of the broader social environment for low-income children's health.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302663
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302663
M3 - Article
C2 - 26378821
AN - SCOPUS:84943763039
VL - 105
SP - 2291
EP - 2297
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
SN - 0090-0036
IS - 11
ER -