IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health problems are highly prevalent in Ireland. To prevent them, childhood is an important time to intervene and the social conditions we grow up in may be an important determinant of health to target. However, as Ireland becomes more urbanised, our neighbourhood social conditions may be changing. This study investigated how urbanicity (the degree of urbanisation) and neighbourhood social conditions are longitudinally related to child mental health problems. Methods: Data from Growing Up in Ireland, a population-based longitudinal study of children, were analysed. Data related to the period 2013 to 2018. The urbanicity of where the child lived at age 5 was categorised as high or low. Caregiver-reports of neighbourhood disorder, safety, cohesion and the built environment were measured at age 5. Mental health problems were measured using the caregiver-completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire total difficulties score (TDS) at ages 5 and 9. Regression analyses were conducted controlling for socioeconomic factors, family factors, built environment factors and age 5 total difficulties score. Results: In this national study of 6,483 children, living in a high urbanicity area was associated with a 0.0064 (95% CI 0.0016 to 0.0169) increase in age 9 TDS. Neighbourhood disorder, safety, and cohesion explained 20.7%, 22%, and 9.8% of this relationship, respectively, and combined explained 34.1%. The built environment was found to have a small countervailing mediating effect on the association between urbanicity and TDS via neighbourhood disorder, safety and cohesion. Conclusion: Urbanicity, neighbourhood social conditions and mental health problems were related among children growing up in Ireland. Although the relationship was small, on a population level it is still significant and comparable with the effect sizes of existing public health interventions. The relationship was lessened where the built environment was better.