Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice
04:20

Limited Bedding and Nesting as a Model for Early-Life Adversity in Mice

Published on: July 12, 2024

US Housing insecurity and the health of very young children

Diana Becker Cutts1, Alan F Meyers, Maureen M Black

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Diana Becker Cutts, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA. Diana.cutts@hcmed.org

American Journal of Public Health
|June 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Housing insecurity, including crowding and frequent moves, is linked to poor health outcomes in young children. Addressing housing instability is crucial for improving child health and development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Public Health
  • Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

  • Housing insecurity is a significant public health issue affecting vulnerable populations.
  • Understanding the impact of housing instability on child health is critical for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between housing insecurity and the health status of very young children.
  • To identify specific indicators of housing insecurity and their correlation with child health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 22,069 low-income caregivers with children under 3 years was interviewed across 7 US urban medical centers (1998-2007).
  • Housing insecurity was assessed using indicators such as crowding (>2 people/bedroom or >1 family/residence) and multiple moves (≥2 moves/year).
  • Child health status, developmental risk, weight, and food insecurity were also evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Crowding was associated with increased household and child food insecurity.
  • Multiple moves were significantly linked to higher odds of household and child food insecurity.
  • Multiple moves correlated with fair/poor child health, increased developmental risk, and lower weight-for-age z scores.

Conclusions:

  • Housing insecurity, particularly crowding and frequent residential mobility, poses a substantial risk to the health and development of young children.
  • Policies aimed at reducing housing insecurity are essential for promoting child well-being and should be prioritized in public health initiatives.
Abstract

More Related Videos

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents06:15

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents

Published on: July 10, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II01:30

Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II

Rural Health Centers
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
Stress and Mental Health01:30

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...
Factors Affecting Illness01:18

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...