A growing literature has demonstrated that neighborhoods of residence affect health and may contribute to socioeconomic disparities in health. Contextual effects have been documented across a wide spectrum of populations, including both children and adults. However, neighborhood effects on the health of the elderly are currently understudied. Neighborhoods of residence across the lifecourse are likely to affect health status in late life and to contribute to observed disparities for several reasons. Neighborhoods have been demonstrated to have effects on health throughout early and mid life. Further, for most people, their most salient health events occur later in life. Thus, one.
