Neighborhood Disadvantage: Pathways of Effects for Young Children

• Published in: Child development Vol. 79; no. 1; pp. 156 - 169
• Main Authors: Kohen, Dafna E., Leventhal, Tama, Dahinten, V. Susan, McIntosh, Cameron N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01-01-2008; Wiley-Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Anomie; Behavior problems; Behaviourism; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child development; Child, Preschool; Childhood mental disorders; Children; Community Characteristics; Data Analysis; Depression (Psychology); Depressive disorders; Developmental psychology; Disadvantaged; Dysfunction; Educational Status; Empirical Articles; Family - psychology; Family Environment; Family studies; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Language Development Disorders - diagnosis; Language Development Disorders - psychology; Longitudinal studies; Male; Maternal depression; Neighborhoods; Neighbourhoods; Parenting; Parents; Personality Development; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Social Behavior; Social disorganization theory; Social impact; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Influences; Socioeconomic status; Speech skills; Statistics as Topic; Stress, Psychological - complications; Structural Equation Models; Studies; Young Children; Social environment; Human; Mood disorder; Parental behavior; Socioeconomic status; Depression; Residential neighborhoods; Maternal diseases; Behavioral disorder; Verbal ability; Language; Mother; Sociodemographic factor; Follow up study; Language development; Family environment; Child
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01117.x

The present study used Canadian National Longitudinal data to examine a model of the mechanisms through which the effects of neighborhood socioeconomic conditions impact young children's verbal and behavioral outcomes (N = 3,528; M age = 5.05 years, SD = 0.86). Integrating elements of social disorganization theory and family stress models, and results from structural equation models suggest that both neighborhood and family mechanisms played an important role in the transmission of neighborhood socioeconomic effects. Neighborhood disadvantage manifested its effect via lower neighborhood cohesion, which was associated with maternal depression and family dysfunction. These processes were, in turn, related to less consistent, less stimulating, and more punitive parenting behaviors, and ultimately, poorer child outcomes.