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Exposure to Disaster, Neighborhood Environmental Characteristics, and their Associations with Behavioral Difficulties in Children
Citation:
Tulve, N., E. Peters, A. Rung, AND S. Gaston. Exposure to Disaster, Neighborhood Environmental Characteristics, and their Associations with Behavioral Difficulties in Children. NIEHS EHS FEST, Durham, NC, December 05 - 08, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) brought together researchers, trainees, young investigators, community partners, and stakeholders from across the United States to discuss past accomplishments and explore the future of environmental health science in the 21st century.
Description:
Previous research suggests a negative association between the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS) and mental health of women residing in southeastern Louisiana. The objective of this study was to examine the association between exposure to the DHOS and behavioral difficulties in these women’s children, and assess if it varied by neighborhood disorder. Longitudinal data from the Women and their Children’s Health Study (2012–2016) were used to test associations in 275 children ages 10-17 at baseline. Neighborhood audits captured signs of community decline (e.g., abandoned buildings) and litter. Children self-reported DHOS exposure and prosocial and problem behavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalized estimating equations were applied to linear regressions to estimate associations between DHOS exposure, neighborhood disorder, and total behavioral difficulties scores. Less than half (47.8%) of children reported DHOS exposure and 12% had high SDQ scores at follow-up. DHOS exposure and litter were associated with increased total difficulties (β = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.30, 2.71 and β = 1.86, 95% CI: 0.29, 3.44, respectively) after adjustment for child race, sex, and age; annual household income; maternal depression; and interview dates. However, community decline and litter were not effect modifiers of DHOS exposure. Results suggest that neighborhood environment does not affect the association between DHOS exposure and children’s behavior difficulties.
