Social and Structural Determinants of Self-Rated Health in Gentrifying Neighborhoods in Austin Texas: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Analysis

Association between neighborhood change and health exists in the literature with mixed evidence. This study examined the association between perceived gentrification and self-rated health—physical, mental, and general—in some selected neighborhoods experiencing gentrification in Austin, Texas. In this cross-sectional study, three hundred and forty (N = 340) current residents in East and Southeast Austin participated in a Neighborhood and Health Survey in summer 2020. We used a combination of quantitative techniques, including descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson’s Chi-square, analysis of variance, and logistic regression to describe and assess various relationships between variables. Results show that perceived gentrification among community members reduced the report of high self-rated mental health but increased the report for self-rated physical health and general health. In addition, older residents in these gentrifying neighborhoods rated their mental health higher than middle-aged residents. However, access to socioeconomic resources served as a cushion to the impact of gentrification on self-rated health in the multivariate analysis. Thus, this study provides evidence that reinforces the importance of health impact assessment of urban renewal policy and its implication on the minorities’ well-being, particularly longtime residents.