Association Between Neighborhood Deprivation and Child Cognition in Clinically Referred Youth.
Luther Kalb, Rebecca Lieb, Natasha Ludwig and 5 others
PMID 37590215WHAT IT FOUND
Children from the most deprived neighborhoods had significantly lower cognitive scores than those from the least deprived.
The gap was largest for verbal intelligence and overall IQ, with a 20-point median difference. This association strengthened in adolescence, suggesting cumulative effects of neighborhood conditions.
Key findings
01A 20-point median difference in overall intelligence was observed between children in the least and most deprived neighborhoods.
02Verbal intelligence and overall intelligence showed the strongest associations with neighborhood deprivation, with moderate effect sizes.
03Adolescents in highly deprived neighborhoods had lower general intelligence than younger children in similar areas, indicating a cumulative impact.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that neighborhood deprivation causes lower cognition; it only shows an association. Participants were clinically referred children, so findings may not apply to the general population. Cognitive tests were selected by clinicians based on individual needs, not standardized across all participants, though scores were harmonized. The study did not account for important factors like adverse childhood experiences, intervention history, or the duration of exposure to neighborhood conditions. Neighborhood deprivation was based on address data, which may not accurately reflect the child's long-term environment if they moved frequently.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were reported. The study was supported by NIH extramural funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower scores as evidence of fixed intellectual deficits. The study shows a strong association between neighborhood deprivation and cognition, but it cannot prove causation, and the children were all clinically referred for existing concerns.