Neighborhood Context and the Risk for Developmental Disabilities in Early Childhood

The effects of place on human health and development have been extensively studied in recent years in the adult and adolescent populations, but minimal research has addressed neighborhood effects in early childhood. This analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health 2011/2012 cross-sectional survey examined relationships between risk for developmental disability in early childhood and neighborhood characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of children ages 0–5 years. Parents reported on their child’s development using a well-validated parent report screening tool for developmental problems (the Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status tool), and neighborhood and family characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted for each of three neighborhood variables: physical disorder, safety, and isolation. After controlling for parental and child characteristics, the three neighborhood variables were each significantly associated with moderate (but not severe) risk versus low to no risk for developmental disabilities. When all neighborhood characteristics were included simultaneously in the same model, only physical disorder remained statistically significant [OR 1.44 (95% CI 1.09–1.91)], though modestly attenuated. These results suggest that neighborhoods may have effects on early childhood development, after controlling for individual child, parental, and family characteristics.