Neighborhood Income Inequality and Alcohol Use among Adolescents in Boston, Massachusetts

Roman Pabayo, Daniel M. Cook, Gregory Farmer and Beth E. Molnar
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Roman Pabayo: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Daniel M. Cook: School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Gregory Farmer: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Beth E. Molnar: Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-13

Abstract: Objectives: Previous research has indicated that area-level income inequality is associated with increased risk in alcohol consumption. However, few studies have been conducted among adolescents living within smaller area units, such as neighborhoods. We investigated whether neighborhood income inequality is associated with alcohol consumption among adolescents. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a sample of 1878 adolescents living in 38 neighborhoods participating in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey. Multilevel logistic regression modeling was used to determine the role of neighborhood income inequality and the odds for alcohol consumption and to determine if social cohesion and depressive symptoms were mediators. Results: In comparison to the first tertile of income inequality, or the most equal neighborhood, adolescent participants living in the second tertile (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.61) and third tertile (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.96) were more likely to have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days. Social cohesion and depressive symptoms were not observed to mediate this relationship. Conclusions: Findings indicate that the distribution of incomes within urban areas may be related to alcohol consumption among adolescents. To prevent alcohol consumption, public health practitioners should prioritize prevention efforts for adolescents living in neighborhoods with large gaps between rich and poor.

Keywords: income inequality; adolescents; alcohol consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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