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Abstract
Most studies suggest that residents in highly disordered neighborhoods suffer from powerlessness, lack of information, poor diet, etc. However, few studies examine the cumulative effects of neighborhood disorders on self-rated health over the longterm. Most studies have been conducted in a cross-sectional framework and limited to a specific area, such as a single city or state. Even when employing longitudinal data, subjects were observed for a short period of time.
The present thesis provides information on the following. First, by tracing individuals' history for 21 years with the National Longitudinal Survey Youth (NLSY79), this study examined the association between duration of residence in neighborhoods with different levels of perceived disorders and self-rated health. Second, this study examined the duration effects of socioeconomic characteristics on health. Finally, this thesis also examined the effects of risk factors for physical health. Findings from descriptive and multivariate analyses confirmed most of the research questions.
