title: Association between Self-Rated Health and the Ethnic Composition of the Residential Environment of Six Ethnic Groups in Amsterdam.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies on the association between health and neighborhood ethnic composition yielded inconsistent results, possibly due to methodological limitations. We assessed these associations at different spatial scales and for different measures of ethnic composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained health survey data of 4673 respondents of Dutch, Surinamese, Moroccan, Turkish other non-Western and other Western origin. Neighborhood ethnic composition was measured for buffers varying from 50-1000 m. Associations with self-rated health were measured using logistic multilevel regression analysis, with control for socioeconomic position at the individual and area level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall ethnic heterogeneity was not related to health for any ethnic group. The presence of other Surinamese was associated with poor self-rated health among Surinamese respondents. The presence of Moroccans or Turks was associated with poor health among some groups. The presence of Dutch was associated with better self-rated health among Surinamese and Turks. In most cases, these associations were stronger at lower spatial scales. We found no other associations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Amsterdam, self-rated health was not associated with ethnic heterogeneity in general, but may be related to the presence of specific ethnic groups. Policies regarding social and ethnic mixing should pay special attention to the co-residence of groups with problematic interrelations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Geography, Planning & International Development Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.m.veldhuizen@uva.nl.
authors.forename: Eleonore M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Veldhuizen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Geography, Planning & International Development Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.musterd@uva.nl.
authors.forename: Sako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musterd
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, 1018 WT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. hdijkshoorn@ggd.amsterdam.nl.
authors.forename: Henriëtte
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dijkshoorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.kunst@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Anton E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kunst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ethnic heterogeneity; neighborhood ethnic composition; own ethnic density; self-rated health; spatial scale