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Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998

Riva, M.; Gauvin, L.; Barnett, T.A.

Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998 Thumbnail


Authors

M. Riva

L. Gauvin

T.A. Barnett



Abstract

To map out area effects on health research, this study had the following aims: (1) to inventory multilevel investigations of area effects on self rated health, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, and mortality among adults; (2) to describe and critically discuss methodological approaches employed and results observed; and (3) to formulate selected recommendations for advancing the study of area effects on health. Overall, 86 studies were inventoried. Although several innovative methodological approaches and analytical designs were found, small areas are most often operationalised using administrative and statistical spatial units. Most studies used indicators of area socioeconomic status derived from censuses, and few provided information on the validity and reliability of measures of exposures. A consistent finding was that a significant portion of the variation in health is associated with area context independently of individual characteristics. Area effects on health, although significant in most studies, often depend on the health outcome studied, the measure of area exposure used, and the spatial scale at which associations are examined.

Citation

Riva, M., Gauvin, L., & Barnett, T. (2007). Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 61(10), 853-861. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.050740

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Oct 1, 2007
Deposit Date Sep 3, 2008
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Print ISSN 0143-005X
Electronic ISSN 1470-2738
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 61
Issue 10
Pages 853-861
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.050740
Keywords Small area analysis, Neighbourhood, Multilevel analysis, Scoping study.

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