The relationship between neighborhood characteristics and self-rated health for adults with chronic conditions

Objectives. We sought to determine whether the association between neighborhood characteristics and health differs for people with and without a chronic condition. Methods. We analyzed data from 2536 adults from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey and evaluated the relationship between the presence of a chronic condition at the individual level, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and self-rated health. We constructed multilevel models to evaluate the relationship between the neighborhood SES index and self-rated health for people with and without chronic conditions, after adjustment for other individual characteristics. Results. Having a chronic condition was associated with substantially poorer self-rated health among participants in a deprived area than among those in a more advantaged area. Conclusions. Residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood may be associated with barriers to the management of a chronic condition. Further work is needed to identify the specific characteristics of disadvantaged areas associated with poorer self-rated health for adults with chronic conditions.