How do housing contexts—including physical qualities, affordability, residential stability, and ownership—influence the cognitive, behavioral, and social development of economically disadvantaged youth? Previous studies have examined individual factors of housing context (i.e., studies of lead exposure and cognitive development), but little research has examined multiple features of the housing context or focused specifically on adolescents. This study will look at the interactions between housing and other important developmental contexts (e.g., family, neighborhood, peers) in order to explain variations in adolescent well-being. Researchers will analyze data from the Three City Study, a study of ethnically diverse, low-income families with adolescent children living in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio from 1999 to 2005. Researchers will identify groups of housing, family, and neighborhood characteristics and will use a variety of statistical techniques to determine if there are patterns in how certain characteristics cluster together over time. This information will be used to assess how patterns and processes within housing, family, and neighborhood contexts influence adolescent development and well-being, taking into account the impact of variations in age, gender, and race/ethnicity.
How do housing contexts—including physical qualities, affordability, residential stability, and ownership—influence the cognitive, behavioral, and social development of economically disadvantaged youth?
