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Background Sufficient sleep is needed for the healthy development of youth. However, only a small minority of adolescents obtain adequate amounts of sleep. Although individual-level correlates of sleep have been identified, studies investigating the influence of the environment on sleep are warranted. Methods By using cross-sectional data collected from 1878 urban adolescents living in 38 neighborhoods participating in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey (BYS), we determined the association between neighborhood social fragmentation and sleep. Social fragmentation of each participant's residential neighborhood was composed using 2010 US Census data. Multilevel regression models were used to determine the association between social fragmentation and meeting the recommended hours of sleep (>8.5 h) and sleep duration while controlling for individual-level sex, race, age and nativity. Results Moderate (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27, 0.97) and high (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.18, 0.61) social fragmentation within the residential neighborhood was associated with a decreased likelihood of obtaining adequate sleep. Those in moderate (β = −23.9, 95% CI = −43.1, −4.8) and high (β = −22.1, 95% CI = −43.3, −0.9) socially fragmented neighborhoods obtained fewer minutes of sleep per night. Conclusions Social fragmentation may be an important determinant of sleep among youth living in urban settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We sought to determine whether the socioeconomic environment was associated with no participation in physical activity among adolescents in Boston, Massachusetts. Methods. We used cross-sectional data from 1878 urban adolescents living in 38 neighborhoods who participated in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey, a biennial survey of high school students (aged 14–19 years). We used multilevel multiple regression models to determine the association between neighborhood-level exposures of economic deprivation, social fragmentation, social cohesion, danger and disorder, and students’ reports of no participation in physical activity in the previous week. Results. High social fragmentation within the residential neighborhood was associated with an increased likelihood of being inactive (odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval = 1.14, 2.05). No other neighborhood exposures were associated with physical inactivity. Conclusions. Social fragmentation might be an important correlate of physical inactivity among youths living in urban settings. Interventions might be needed to assist youths living in unstable neighborhoods to be physically active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Previous research has indicated that area-level income inequality is associated with increased risk in alcohol consumption. However, few studies have been conducted among adolescents living within smaller area units, such as neighborhoods. We investigated whether neighborhood income inequality is associated with alcohol consumption among adolescents., Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a sample of 1878 adolescents living in 38 neighborhoods participating in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey. Multilevel logistic regression modeling was used to determine the role of neighborhood income inequality and the odds for alcohol consumption and to determine if social cohesion and depressive symptoms were mediators., Results: In comparison to the first tertile of income inequality, or the most equal neighborhood, adolescent participants living in the second tertile (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.61) and third tertile (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.96) were more likely to have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days. Social cohesion and depressive symptoms were not observed to mediate this relationship., Conclusions: Findings indicate that the distribution of incomes within urban areas may be related to alcohol consumption among adolescents. To prevent alcohol consumption, public health practitioners should prioritize prevention efforts for adolescents living in neighborhoods with large gaps between rich and poor.