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Thousands of children living within US borders exposed to toxic stress
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CHICAGO — Approximately 300,000 families living in impoverished towns along the United States-Mexico border in Texas, called colonias, face negative health consequences because of substandard housing, lack of resources and exposure to toxic stress, according to findings presented at the 2017 AAP National Conference and Exhibition.
“Poverty, including poor housing, is damaging to children’s health,” lead researcher Pei-Yuan Pearl Tsou, MD, a pediatric hospitalist in Chicago, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “Past research and our study have shown that living in poverty is associated with negative health outcomes and can lead to severe, lifelong health problems.”
Researchers sought to assess the housing conditions within the colonias of Hidalgo County, Texas, where a majority of the colonias are located, and determine the mental and physical disease burden within this population. Researchers used data from a 53-item survey to assess housing and health conditions of the colonias. During home visits, the investigators collected quotes from colonia residents and observational data, summarizing the information to fit the perspective of healthcare professionals.
In total, Tsou and colleagues conducted 63 surveys. Almost all colonia inhabitants were Hispanic, and the majority were U.S. citizens. Nearly of all families lived in severely overcrowded environments, and the neighborhoods lacked water, electricity, paved roads, streetlights, proper sewage and wastewater treatment and trash collection, according to the release. The researchers observed that almost all residents were facing negative health consequences of substandard housing, including pest problems within 97% of homes and mold issues within 50% of homes.
Out of the surveyed population, 90% believed their home could not withstand natural disasters.
According to the researchers, these living conditions promote social isolation and are associated with significant disease burden and high rates of perceived poor physical and mental health. More than 82% of residents reported the presence of at least one or more chronic diseases within their household, and 38.1% reported presence of three or more. During self-assessment, more than 36% of participants rated their personal health as fair or poor and 35% rated their mental health as fair or poor, according to the release. Notably, approximately 93% of the colonia residents believed that improving their housing conditions would improve their personal health and the health of their family.
“We hope that our study can help advise policy programs to develop effective interventions and programs that can buffer the effects of poverty and help lift children out of poverty. By advocating for families and helping them access resources, we can mitigate those negative effects of poverty,” Tsou said. “As pediatricians, we see parents every day who are struggling with financial challenges. Living in this ‘survival mode’ is stressful. Rigorous studies show that a stressful family environment affects the health of the child. The more we can do to support parents, the easier it will be for them to raise healthy, resilient children.” – by Savannah Demko
References:
Tsou PP, et al. Assessing health status and housing quality of families living in model subdivisions (colonias) of the Rio Grande Valley. Presented at: AAP 2017 National Conference & Exhibition; Sept. 16–19, 2017; Chicago.
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.