Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
MULTIPLE STRESSORS, POVERTY, AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0184282
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 1999
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2004
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
DESIGN & ENVIRON ANALYSIS
Non Technical Summary
Some low income children when exposed to multiple stressors can develop socioemotional disorders. Examine the potential role of exposure to multiple environmental stressors over time in development of socioemotional disorders in low income children.
Animal Health Component
25%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
75%
Applied
25%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80260203070100%
Knowledge Area
802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
6020 - The family and its members;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology;
Goals / Objectives
The objective of this research is to examine the potential role of exposure to multiple environmental stressors over time in the development of socioemotional disorders among low income children. Stressors include housing quality, crowding, noise, family turmoil, child-family separation, and exposure to violence. Psychological health, psychophysiological stress, and motivation will be assessed in a second wave of longitudinal study. The children were first monitored in grades 3-5 and will be reassessed in grades 7-8. Parent-child interaction and coping strategies are examined as potential mediators. We will also examine potential contributors to resilience -- obviously not all childre at risk suffer negative consequences.
Project Methods
A sample of approximately 125 low income children and 125 middle income children, all living in rural areas in upstate New York will be assessed. Multiple methods include interviews, behavioral task assessment and psychophysiological measures (cardiovascular and neuroendocrine). hierarchical regression will be used to evaluate whether expected poverty-related differences in socioemotional halth are explained by exposure to 0-7 stressor domains. Both concurrent and longitudinal analyses will be conducted.

Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/04

Outputs
The longitudinal effects of poverty on children's socioemotional and physiological stress responses are conveyed by cumulative risk exposure.Low income children are exposed to a greater accumulation of physical (housing, crowding, noise) and psychosocial (family turmoil, child separation from family, violence) risk factors than middle income children. This greater cumulative risk exposure, in turn, largely accounts for the adverse impacts of poverty on mental health and physiological stress. An overview of this work can be gleaned from the publications listed herein, particularly those dated 2004.

Impacts
I gave an invited talk on this and related research to the NY Academy of Medicine at the invitation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Publications

  • Evans, G.W. 2003. A multimethodological analysis of cumulative risk and allostatic load among rural children. Developmental Psychology, 39, 924-933.
  • Evans, G.W. 2004. The environment of childhood poverty. American Psychologist, 59, 77-92.
  • Evans, G.W. & Marcynyszyn, L. 2004. Environmental justice, cumulative environmental risk, and health among low and middle income children. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1942-1944.


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
The objective of this research is to examine the role of exposure to multiple stressors as a partial explanation for the well documented, adverse physical and psychological health consequences of poverty. A longitudinal study funded by the W.T. Grant Foundation and the Mac Arthur Foundation is in progress.

Impacts
I gave an invited talk to the NY Academy of Medicine at the invitation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Spring 2003 on the topic of the Physical Environment and Mental Health.

Publications

  • Evans, G.W. 2003. The built environment and mental health. Journal of Urban Health, 80, 536-555.
  • Evans, G.W. 2003. A multimethodological analysis of cumulative risk and the allostatic load among rural children. Developmental Psychology, 39, 924-933.
  • Schreier, A., & Evans, G.W. 2003. Adrenal cortical responses of young children to evolutionary modern and ancient stressors. Current Anthropology, 44, 306-309.
  • Saegert, S., & Evans, G.W. 2003. Poverty, housing niches, and health in the United States. Journal of Social Issues, 59, 569-590.


Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
The objective of this research is to examine the role of exposure to multiple stressors as an explanatory concept for the harmful effects of poverty on the development of children and youth. A longitudinal study funded by the W.T. Grant Foundation and the Mac Arthur Foundation Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health is in progress. This work was initiated with a seed grant from Hatch Funds.

Impacts
I again ran a workshop for the New York Even Start Family Literacy Program and have been invited to give a presentation to the Center for Disease Control on the built environment and mental health and the New York Academy of Sciences in the Spring of 2003.

Publications

  • Evans, G.W. & Kantrowitz, E. 2002. Socioeconomic status and health: The potential role of environmental risk exposure. Annual Review of Public Health, 23, 303-331.
  • Revision of Environment Notebook, the John D. & Catherine T. Mac Arthur Foundation. 2001. http:///www.macses.ucsf.edu/research/ social pct 20environment/notebook/suboptimalenv.html.
  • Evans, G.W. & English, K. 2002. The environment of poverty: Multiple stressor exposure, psychophysiological stress, and socioemotional health. Child Development, 73, 1238-1248.
  • Evans, G.W., Kantrowitz, E. & Eshelman, P. 2002. Housing quality and psychological well being among the elderly population. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Science, 57B, 381-383.
  • Eshelman, P. & Evans, G.W. 2002. Home again: Environmental predictors of place attachment and self-esteem for new retirement community residents. Journal of Interior Design, 28, 3-9.


Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
The objective of this research is to examine the role of exposure to multiple stressors as an explanatory concept for the harmful effects of poverty on the development of children and youth. A longitudinal study is in progress. This research has received funding from the Mac Arthur Foundation, NIH, and is currently supported by Hatch Grant and a W.T. Grant Foundation grant.

Impacts
I presented some preliminary work from my poverty research to family case workers in the New York Even Start Family Literacy Program.

Publications

  • Krenichyn, K., Saegert, S. & Evans, G.W. 2001. Parents as moderators of psychological and physiological sequelae of inner city children's exposure to violence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 581-602.
  • Evans, G.W., Saegert, S. & Harris, R. 2001. Residential density and psychological health among children in low income families. Environment and Behavior, 33, 165-180.
  • Evans, G.W., Saltzman, H. & Cooperman, J. 2001. Housing quality and children's socioemotional health. Environment and Behavior, 33, 389-399.


Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00

Outputs
The objective of this research is to examine the role of exposure to multiple stressors as an explantory concept for the harmful impacts of poverty on child and youth development. A longitudinal study is in progress. This research orginally supported by Hatch has received extramural funding from the american association of family and consumer science and with additional support pending from a private foundation. Some preliminary results from phase I and completed and other papers are in progress.

Impacts
I have presented my research to NY State Meetings of Headstart professionals and people from Co-Operative Extension who do outreach in poverty related programs. I gave the keynote address at the European Network on Housing, June 2000 in Sweden on the topic of housing quality and mental health.

Publications

  • Evans, G.W., Wells, N.M. & Moch, A. (1999). Housing and mental health. Ville et Parallele, 29, 197-213,
  • Bronfenbrenner, U. & Evans, G.W. (2000). Developmental science in the 21st century. Social Development, 9, 115-125.
  • Evans, G.W., Wells, N.M., Chan, E. & Saltzman, H. (2000). Housing and mental health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 526-530.
  • Evans, G.W. & Saegert, S. (2000). Residential crowding in the context of inner city poverty. In S. Wapner, J. Demick, H. Minami & T. Yamamoto (ds.), Theoretical perspectives in environment-behavior research. NY: Plenum.