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The price of access: capitalization of neighborhood contextual factors

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International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Published online on

Abstract

Background;Studies of neighborhood context on health behavior have not considered that the health benefits ofcontext may be 'capitalized' into, or included in, higher housing values. This study examines theassociations of better neighborhood context with neighborhood housing values.Methods;We use the third wave of Add Health (2000-2001) to estimate the association of neighborhood con-textual variables and housing values first across then within income types. This is a census blockgroup-level analysis.Results;We find that neighborhood context, especially access to fruit and vegetable outlets, is capitalized into,or associated with, higher housing values. Fast food and convenience store access are associated withlower housing values. Capitalization differs by income quartile of the neighborhood. Even thosein the poorest neighborhoods value access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and those in the wealthierneighborhoods value activity resources. All neighborhood incomes types place negative value on fastfood access and convenience store access.Conclusions;Access to health-related contextual attributes is capitalized into higher housing prices. Access to freshfruits and vegetables is valued in neighborhoods of all income levels. Modeling these associations byneighborhood income levels helps explain the mixed results in the literature on the built environmentin terms of linking health outcomes to access.