Childhood Housing Assistance Linked to Better Health Decades Later, Children's Mercy Study Finds
A child’s home may shape their health well into adulthood. New research led by Dr. Jeffrey D. Colvin, pediatrician, health services researcher and principal investigator at Children’s Mercy found that children who receive housing assistance are significantly less likely to develop diabetes and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, as adults. The findings add to growing evidence that early childhood experiences can influence lifelong health.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up healthy and reach their full potential,” said Dr. Colvin, lead author of the study. “This study matters because it shows that supporting families early, including helping families maintain affordable and healthy housing, may support efforts to prevent chronic disease and improve health across a lifetime.”
Published in Health Affairs, the study followed participants from before birth into adulthood over more than 50 years. Children who received housing assistance for five years or longer had a 69% lower risk of diabetes and a 39% lower risk of hypertension as adults compared with similar children who did not receive housing assistance. The benefits were also strongest when housing assistance began during pregnancy, infancy or early childhood.
The findings show that children’s health is shaped by medical care as well as the conditions in which they are born and grow. Stable housing may help reduce family stress, support financial stability and improve access to opportunities that help children develop in healthier ways.
Researchers analyzed data from the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics that included linkages to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing assistance records. Participants were followed from before birth through adulthood to better understand how childhood experiences influence long-term health outcomes.
The study adds to research showing that investments in children and families can have lasting effects on health and well-being.
The research was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.