摘要：Objectives. We investigated whether race/ethnicity moderates the association between homeownership and health and whether this association is the same for racial/ethnic minorities as for non-Latino Whites. Methods. With data on US-born Latinos, African Americans, and non-Latino Whites from the 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 California Health Interview Survey, we used weighted multivariate regression techniques in fully adjusted models, controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors, to test the association between homeownership and number of psychological health conditions, number of general health conditions, self-perceived health status, and health trade-offs. Results. Race/ethnicity significantly moderates the effect of homeownership on self-perceived health status, incidence of general health conditions, and health trade-offs, including delays in accessing medical care and delays in obtaining prescription medication. Although homeownership was a robust, independent predictor for each health outcome in the non-Latino White population, the association disappeared in statistical significance for racial/ethnic minorities. Conclusions. The mechanisms that create a significant association between homeownership and health seem not to be operative for racial/ethnic minorities or are countervailed by other processes, such as possible housing insecurity, that may create an adverse association. Homeownership provides a baseline for future investigations. Homeownership is valued as a means to develop personal wealth, increase social opportunities, prevent financial insecurity, 1 and maximize emotional and physical well-being. 2 The positive externalities of homeownership on health operate at various levels (e.g., individual and neighborhood) through various mechanisms. For example, homeowners are more likely than are renters to maintain their homes according to individual tastes and preferences, resulting in increased life satisfaction. 2–4 Homeowners have improved social utility as a result of increased tenure and greater attachment to their community, 5–7 higher levels of civic participation because of their stakeholder status as homeowners, 8,9 and increased emotional well-being from the accumulation of financial assets. 10 Health may be adversely affected by substandard physical conditions of the home, such as poor ventilation, mold, or pest infestation, which may lead to infectious disease, injuries, and chronic conditions. 11,12 Although poor physical and psychosocial conditions can exist in both rental and owner-occupied homes, 13 these conditions may be more difficult to resolve in rental homes because unresponsive property owners may not correct hazardous conditions and there may be fewer pecuniary resources to make repairs. 11,12 Health can also be affected by features of the natural, built, economic, and social environment, including levels of air and noise pollution, dilapidated buildings, and lack of access to primary care. 11,14,15 Although this previous research helps concretize the relationship between homeownership and health, whether this relationship exists among racial/ethnic minorities is unknown. Large gains in homeownership throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, 16 especially among Latino and African Americans in California, 17 provide an opportunity to examine this issue. Because of the distinct historical and social circumstances of wealth inequality and housing discrimination that racial/ethnic minorities experience in the United States, it is plausible that the relationship between homeownership and health may not be robust. In part because of the financial hangover of past discrimination, racial/ethnic minorities may be more likely to purchase homes that are financially unaffordable, in poor condition, and located in neighborhoods with fewer social resources. We examined whether race/ethnicity moderates the relationship between homeownership and health and whether there is a significant association between homeownership and health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority populations compared with non-Latino Whites.
