Influence of Urban Multi-Criteria Deprivation and Spatial Accessibility to Healthcare on Self-Reported Health

Abstract

Self-reported health is considered a health outcome related to neighborhood characteristics. This study analyzes the influence of urban multi-criteria deprivation and spatial accessibility to healthcare on individual self-reported health from a case study carried out in the city of Quito, Ecuador. A multi-criteria deprivation index and two alternative scenarios of this index were generated. A gravity-based measure of spatial accessibility to healthcare was also calculated. The neighborhood effects of deprivation measures and spatial accessibility to healthcare on individual self-reported health were evaluated by applying multilevel models. Significant neighborhood effects were found in two of the three applied multilevel models. This study contributes evidence of neighborhood effects on health outcomes, and can support urban planners and policy-makers in the reduction of urban health-related inequalities.