Neighborhood Social Capital Research Articles

Does place matter? A multilevel analysis of victimization and satisfaction with personal safety of seniors in Canada

Studies on the victimization and abuse of seniors in Canada have largely ignored the influence of place-based variations in social bonds and socioeconomic characteristics. Using the 2014 General Social Survey (GSS) data on Canadians’ safety, we examine neighborhood, social capital, and socioeconomic characteristics as predictors of the incidence of victimization among seniors and their satisfaction with personal safety from crime. Generally, seniors with poor neighborhood ties and social capital were more likely to have experienced victimization and have a lower satisfaction with personal safety. Seniors who viewed people in their neighborhood as unhelpful were more likely to have experienced some form of victimization and more likely to have a lower satisfaction with personal safety. Highly educated and high-income seniors were also more likely to have experienced some form of victimization. Paradoxically, such seniors were less likely to have lower satisfaction with personal safety. The results also show that place, defined as population centers (urban and rural) may have a significant influence on variations in victimization and satisfaction with personal safety. A significant proportion of the variance in victimization (38%) and satisfaction with personal safety (23%) are largely the result of differences in place of residence (urban and rural). Our findings suggest that there is the need to improve neighborhood social capital, reduce neighborhood disorder and improve the socioeconomic status of community-dwelling seniors in order to minimize their susceptibility to victimization as well as to improve their sense of safety from crime.

The Relationship between Air Pollution and Depression in China: Is Neighbourhood Social Capital Protective?

There is increasing evidence from the developed world that air pollution is significantly related to residents’ depressive symptoms; however, the existence of such a relationship in developing countries such as China is still unclear. Furthermore, although neighbourhood social capital is beneficial for health, whether it is a protective factor in the relationship between health and environment pollution remains unclear. Consequently, we examined the effects of cities’ PM2.5 concentrations on residents’ depressive symptoms and the moderating effects of neighbourhood social capital, using data from the 2016 wave of China Labourforce Dynamics Survey and the real-time remote inquiry website of Airborne Fine Particulate Matter and Air Quality Index. Results showed that PM2.5 concentrations and neighbourhood social capital may increase and decrease respondents’ depressive symptoms, respectively. Notably, neighbourhood social capital decreased the negative effect of PM2.5 concentrations on respondents’ depressive symptoms. These analyses contributed to the understanding of the effect of air pollution on mental health in China and confirmed that neighbourhood social capital were protective factors in the relationship between health and environment hazards.

Linking green space to neighborhood social capital in older adults: The role of perceived safety

This study examines the moderating effect of perceived safety on the association of green space with neighborhood social capital in older adults. Green space may play an important role for promoting neighborhood social capital and health for older adults; however, safety remains a significant challenge in maximizing the benefits of green space. Data were drawn from 647 independent-living seniors who participated in the Senior Neighborhood Quality of Life Study in the Seattle/King County and Baltimore/Washington DC region. The results suggest that certain green space elements, such as natural sights, may be beneficial to neighborhood social capital of older adults. However, other types of green space, such as parks and street trees, may be less advantageous to older adults who perceive their neighborhoods as unsafe for pedestrians. Findings highlight the importance of pedestrian safety in examining associations of green space with neighborhood social capital in older adults. Further studies using a longitudinal design are warranted to confirm the causality of the findings.

The Tale of Two Communities: Residents’ Perceptions of the Built Environment and Neighborhood Social Capital

Recent decades have seen a growing number of studies on the benefits and environmental determinants of community social capital. This study explored the relationship between neighborhood residents’ perceptions of their built environment and social capital by comparing two neighborhoods, Bucktown, an example of traditional neighborhood design, and Schaumburg, exemplifying suburban sprawl. Furthermore, the study sought to develop suggestions for further research about the variables contributing to neighborhood variations in social capital. Results of two cross-sectional phone surveys with 197 residents indicated that Bucktown respondents reported more close neighborhood ties, and believed they were more involved in mutual aid and community problem solving, but viewed their neighbors as less supportive than participants from Schaumburg. It may be hypothesized that aspects of residents’ perceptions of the built environment, particularly perceived safety and walkability, may be partly responsible for the neighborhood differences found. Further research is needed to understand the pathways of how elements of perceived built environment may affect social capital formation and development.

Are diverse societies less cohesive? Testing contact and mediated contact theories.

Previous research has demonstrated that there is a negative relationship between ethnic diversity in a local community and social cohesion. Often the way social cohesion is assessed, though, varies across studies and only some aspects of the construct are included (e.g., trust). The current research explores the relationship between diversity and social cohesion across a number of indicators of social cohesion including neighbourhood social capital, safety, belonging, generalized trust, and volunteering. Furthermore, social psychological theories concerning the role of positive contact and its impact on feelings of threat are investigated. Using a sample of 1070 third generation ‘majority’ Australians and structural equation modelling (SEM), findings suggest ethnic diversity is related to positive intergroup contact, and that contact showed beneficial impacts for some indicators of social cohesion both directly and indirectly through reducing perceived threat. When interethnic contact and perceived threat are included in the model there is no direct negative effect between diversity and social cohesion. The theoretical implications of these findings are outlined including the importance of facilitating opportunities for positive contact in diverse communities.

Neighborhood social capital and sleep duration: a population based cross-sectional study in a rural Japanese town

BackgroundStudies on social capital and health outcomes have become common, but the relationship between neighborhood social capital and sleep duration by gender is still unclear. We examined the relationship between neighborhood social capital and sleep duration by gender in adults living in a rural community in Japan.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of 12,321 residents aged ≥20 years in a town in Mie Prefecture in January–March 2013. Self-completed questionnaires were collected from the residents (n = 7782; valid participation rate, 63.2%). We used five items to assess the neighborhood social capital (Cronbach’s α = 0.86). We summed up the scores of each item, and then divided the participants into four groups by quartile of total scores of neighborhood social capital (lowest, low, high, and highest). Sleep duration of < 7 h/day was defined as insufficient sleep duration according to previous studies. To adjust for potential confounders, we performed a multiple log-binominal regression analysis and estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for insufficient sleep.ResultsOverall 42% of the men and 45% of the women had insufficient sleep. In the men, the lowest group of neighborhood social capital presented a 22% higher prevalence of insufficient sleep (PR 1.22; 95% CIs 1.08–1.38) compared to the highest group of neighborhood social capital. Similarly the low group of neighborhood social capital and the high group of neighborhood social capital had 20 and 19% higher prevalence of insufficient sleep (PR 1.20; 95% CIs 1.06–1.36; PR 1.19; 95% CIs 1.06–1.34, respectively) compared to the highest group of neighborhood social capital. For women there was no significant association between neighborhood social capital and insufficient sleep after controlling for all potential confounders.ConclusionHaving lower neighborhood social capital was associated with insufficient sleep among Japanese adults, particularly in the men. This suggests that the context of neighborhood social capital by gender should be considered to promote healthier behaviors with regard to getting enough sleep.

Social Capital and Migrant Maternal Depression. A Multilevel Bayesian Latent Variable Spatial Logistic Regression in South Western Sydney, Australia

Introduction : We take as our starting point the proposition that antenatal and postnatal maternal stress and depression adversely impact on the developmental origins of health and disease. We cannot yet be certain of the biological level mechanisms that alter the genotypic and phenotypic response to perinatal adversity but the triggering of genetic, neuroendocrine and physiological mechanisms but psychological and nutritional stress are regarded as strong contenders. Little is known, however, of the role played by ecological constructs such as social capital. Theory/Methods : In the study reported here we use multilevel Bayesian hierarchical spatial logistic regression to examine relationships between those ecological latent constructs and depressive symptoms among migrant mothers, while controlling for individual level co-variants. Migrant mothers (n=7256) delivering in 2002 and 2003 were assessed at 2-3 weeks after delivery for risk factors for depressive symptoms. The individual-level binary outcome variables were Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) >9 and >12. The association between social, demographic and ecological factors and aggregated outcome variables were investigated using exploratory factor analysis and Bayesian methods Results : Migrant mothers had higher rates of depressive symptoms in communities with higher concentration of mothers born in Australia. The reverse was also true. The exploratory factor analysis identified six latent constructs: neighbourhood adversity, social cohesion, health behaviours, housing quality, social services, and social capital. Migrant mothers were at higher risk of depressive symptoms if they were living in communities with strong group-level social capital. . Conclusions : These findings suggest that bonding capital may be a health liability rather than [the] force for health promotion that it is often assumed to be. The finding have implications for the distribution of health services including early nurse home visiting, which has recently been confirmed to be effective in preventing postnatal depression. Lessons Learned : The study reported here was used to design and integrated care initiative in South Western Sydney The paradoxical findings with respect to minority groups and social capital were used to inform intervention design. The methods used here can readily inform critical realist informed intervention designs. Limitations : There were methodological limitations in that the latent variables were developed using frequentist rather than Bayesian methods. Suggestions for future research : Analysis using multilevel spatial latent class analysis will add to our understanding of our population groups are influenced by population level social capital.

Child health and place: How is neighborhood social capital associated with child health injuries?

Background: Child health inequalities can be explained by social determinants of health, including neighborhood social capital. Swedish research about place effects on children's health is limited. ...

Disorganization Theory, Neighborhood Social Capital, and Ethnic Inequalities in Intimate Partner Violence between Arab and Jewish Women Citizens of Israel.

We draw on social disorganization (SD) theory and social capital to examine the impact of neighborhood environment on the ethnic gap in intimate partner violence (IPV) between Arab and Jewish women in Israel. We linked census data on neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) to national data we gathered in 2014-2015 on 1401 women (436 Arab, 965 Jewish) age 16-48. Women were interviewed while visiting 65 maternal and child health clinics throughout Israel. We used General Estimated Equation (GEE) multivariate logistic regression models to adjust for clinic cluster effects and estimated the contribution of neighborhood collective efficacy, problems, relative socioeconomic status (SES), bridging and linking social capital, and social support to explaining ethnic inequalities in IPV, while adjusting for women's socioeconomic and socio-demographic characteristics. We found that any IPV is higher among Arab compared to Jewish women (odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)=4.19 (2.72,6.42)). Collective efficacy and social group membership (bridging social capital) had no effect on the ethnic inequality in any IPV and types of IPV. Women's active participation in social groups (linking social capital), higher social support, and living in neighborhoods with relative SES similar to the ethnic group average) had a protective effect from any IPV and physical IPV. Neighborhood problems were associated with increased any IPV and physical IPV. In the final model, the ethnic gap in IPV was reduced but not eliminated (OR (95%CI)=3.28 (2.01, 5.35). Collective efficacy did not explain the ethnic gap in IPV, while women's active participation (linking social capital) had a protective effect from IPV. Given the protective nature of women's activism in this population, future research should investigate how this might be incorporated into solutions to IPV. In addition, reducing neighborhood problems, improving neighborhood SES, and increasing social support might help reduce IPV among Arab women, thus decreasing the ethnic gap in IPV.

Factors associated with good self-rated health in European adolescents: a population-based cross-sectional study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported health status and associated factors. In this cross-sectional study, the participants were 6501 adolescents (52% females) aged 14-19years from three European countries: Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia. Self-rated health was assessed by using one item question: "How would you perceive your health?" The answers were arranged along a 5-point Likert-type scale: (1) very poor, (2) poor, (3) fair, (4) good and (5) excellent. The outcome was binarized as "good" (fair, good and excellent) and "poor" health (very poor and poor). Potential factors associated with self-rated health included demographic (age, gender, socioeconomic status and body-mass index), social (social capital) and lifestyle (physical activity and psychological distress) variables. In both univariate and multivariate models, being older, being a boy, having higher level of family, neighbourhood and school social capital, participating in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity more frequently and having low psychological distress were associated with good self-rated health. Our findings suggest strong associations between social and lifestyle factors and self-rated health. Other explanatory variables will require future research.

It takes a village: Fixed-effects analysis of neighborhood collective efficacy and children's development.

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that neighborhood social capital is associated with children's mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between neighborhood collective efficacy and children's psychosocial development.MethodsWe used data on children and their parents (n = 918) who were part of the Japanese study of Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (JSHINE) from 2010 to 2013 (wave 1 and wave 2). Households were recruited from the Tokyo metropolitan area through clustered random sampling. Changes in children's psychosocial development (assessed using a child behavioral checklist) between waves 1 and 2 were regressed on parents' perceptions of changes in neighborhood collective efficacy (social cohesion and informal social control).ResultsChange in perception of neighborhood social cohesion was inversely associated with change in child total problems (β = −0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.37 to −0.001; effect size d = −0.03). Change in perceptions of neighborhood informal social control was inversely associated with change in children's externalizing problems (β = −0.16; 95% CI: −0.30 to −0.03; d = −0.02).ConclusionsThe results of these fixed-effects models suggest that strengthening neighborhood collective efficacy is related to improvements in child psychosocial development.

USING EVIDENCE TO TRANSLATE NATIONAL POLICY INTO LOCAL ACTION

The challenge of turning national policy into actions, implemented at a local level, is one faced by policy-makers world-wide. Ireland’s national policy for promoting Positive Ageing explicitly acknowledges the role that the Age Friendly Cities and Counties (AFCC) programme plays in improving the lives of older people. Through a collaborative study jointly funded by national and local governments, the Healthy and Positive Ageing Initiative uses links established with the WHO’s Age Friendly Cities Programme to translate knowledge into action. Data from a random sample survey of people 55 and older in 20 AFCC programme areas during 2015/2016 (n=10,000) was disseminated to local AFCC alliances. Reflecting the priorities of the National Positive Ageing Strategy and the AFCC program, the survey covered areas such as deprivation and neighbourhood social capital, preferences for housing adaptation and local area walkability. Results link the social and built environment to the health and wellbeing of older people and identify barriers to participation and essential health and social services. As the AFCC program expanded to 10 new local authority areas, results are used to develop a common understanding of age friendly priorities, to optimise and sustain political and social commitment and to identify areas for action in new AFCC programs. The efficacy of the dissemination practices is explored through a qualitative study using thematic content analysis of the locally produced strategies and semi-structured interviews with the key stakeholders responsible for the implementation of strategies.

The role of socio-economic status and neighborhood social capital on loneliness among older adults: evidence from the Sant Boi Aging Study.

The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of age in the association between socio-economic status (SES) and loneliness as well as the role of neighborhood social capital (NSC) in the association between individual social capital and loneliness. Data include a representative population-based sample from Sant Boi de Llobregat (a suburb of Barcelona) of 1124 adults aged 50 and over. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the survey data. Interactions between SES and age, and NSC and individual social capital were explored. Among the poorest older adults, older individuals showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02, 0.30, p<0.05) compared with the youngest cohort after adjusting for covariates, while among the richest individuals there were no significant differences among age cohorts. Individuals living in an area with high NSC and high individual social capital showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.17, 0.73, p<0.05) compared with those with low individual social capital after adjusting for covariates. The effect of individual social capital was not significant among individuals living in an area with low NSC. Interventions focusing on low SES middle-aged (50-59years old) individuals and those aiming to increase NSC could be effective strategies to reduce the prevalence of loneliness in older people.

Testing the Importance of Geographic Distance for Social Capital Resources

This study tests the importance of spatial distance from social capital resources for the number of resources accessed. We examine the relationship between the distance to work, religious congregations, and organizations on the level of social capital. Theory posits that increased time spent commuting decreases social capital; we posit that increased distance traveled to sites of social capital generation limits neighborhood social capital but increases capital access at generation sites. We measured social capital with the Resource Generator–United States and used negative binomial regression to estimate the association between distance and number of resources accessed. Social capital resource access is higher with increased distance traveled to civic organizations. Distance from work and religious congregations does not affect social capital; distance to work erodes neighborhood social capital. These findings are counter to current theory and suggest that people are willing to travel to organizations where social capital is built.

Housing Tenure and Neighbourhood Social Capital

Prior research finds a positive association between social capital and community well-being, ranging from decreased crime to greater local economic development and resiliency. Using a nationally representative sample from Canada, this study explores the specific impact of housing tenure (homeownership vs. renting) on three forms of neighbourhood social capital: bonding (trust, exchanges among neighbours and sense of belonging to one’s community), bridging (participation in local organizations) and linking social capital (voting in municipal elections). Findings suggest a positive association between homeownership and forms of bonding social capital and, to a lesser degree, linking social capital, but no clear effect on bridging social capital. Length of residence, having children at home, education, being a visible minority and region also emerged as significant in many models. We argue that exploring further housing stabilization and community-building efforts among rental properties – both public and private – might yield important social capital returns.

Relationships Between Neighborhood Social Capital and The Occurrence of Outdoor Falls in Canadian Older Adults: A Multilevel Analysis.

The aim of this study was to examine whether neighborhood-level social capital is a risk factor for falls outside of the home in older adults. Health questionnaires were completed by community-dwelling Canadians aged +65 years living in Kingston (Ontario) and St-Hyacinthe (Quebec), supplemented by neighborhood-level census data. Multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts were fit. Variations in the occurrence of falls across neighborhoods were quantified by median odds ratio and 80% interval odds ratio. Between-neighborhood differences explained 7% of the variance in the occurrence of falls; this variance decreased to 2% after adjustment for neighborhood-level variables. In the fully adjusted models, higher levels of social capital increased the odds of falls by almost 2 times: (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.19, 3.71]). Living in neighborhoods with higher levels of social capital was associated with higher risk of falling in older adults, possibly through more involvement in social activities.

Building Community, Breaking Barriers: Little Free Libraries and Local Action in the United States

Building Community, Breaking Barriers: Little Free Libraries and Local Action in the United States

Social capital and fear of crime in Brisbane

Social capital is upheld for its value in explaining variations in crime across place. Collective efficacy is understood to be the superlative link between less effectual components of neighbourhood social capital (such as social ties and reciprocity) and lower rates of crime. The current study examines the value of neighbourhood social capital in explaining another community attribute associated with neighbourhoods: fear of crime. We conduct a secondary analysis of survey data collected from over 2000 people clustered in 82 Statistical Local Areas in Brisbane, Australia, to examine the correlates of fear of crime. We find that when comparing elements of social capital, the agentic element of social capital – collective efficacy – has the strongest relationship to reduced fear of crime.

Neighbourly support of people with chronic illness; is it related to neighbourhood social capital?

The neighbourhood may provide resources for health. It is to date unknown whether people who live in neighbourhoods with more social capital have more access to practical and emotional support by neighbours, or whether this is a resource only available to those who are personally connected to people in their neighbourhood. We investigated whether support by neighbours of people with chronic illness was related to neighbourhood social capital and to individual neighbourhood connections. Furthermore, we investigated whether support received from neighbours by people with chronic illness differed according to demographic and disease characteristics. We collected data on support by neighbours and individual connections to neighbours among 2272 people with chronic illness in 2015. Data on neighbourhood social capital were collected among 69,336 people in 3425 neighbourhoods between May 2011 and September 2012. Neighbourhood social capital was estimated with ecometric measurements. We conducted multilevel regression analyses. People with chronic illness were more likely to receive practical and emotional support from neighbours if they had more individual connections to people in their neighbourhood. People with chronic illness were not more likely to receive practical and emotional support from neighbours if they lived in a neighbourhood with more social capital. People with chronic illness with moderate physical disabilities or with comorbidity, and people with chronic illness who lived together with their partner or children, were more likely to receive support from neighbours. To gain more insight into the benefits of neighbourhood social capital, it is necessary to differentiate between the resources only accessible through individual connections to people in the neighbourhood and resources provided through social capital on the neighbourhood level.

Study of Social Capital in the North and South Neighborhoods (The Case of Sari City, Iran)

The main objective of this study was to find answer to this question as whether there is a difference in the social capital between the North and South urban neighborhoods. The data of the current study were collected through a questionnaire. The statistical population of this study included subjects aged 18 and above, and sample size consisted of 450 people.The findings of this study indicated that there was a significant difference between North and South neighborhoods of Sari, Iran, with regard to the neighborhood social capital. This means that the mean social capital in the South of city (3.58 out of 5) was higher than that of North of city (1.78 out of 5). The difference was also true for all aspects of neighborhood social capital in North and South urban neighborhoods of Sari. Furthermore, in all aspects of neighborhood social capital, the South neighborhoods had a higher mean value than North urban neighborhoods.