Neighborhood Social Disorganization Research Articles

Social disorganization and new HIV diagnoses, 2013-2017, Florida: Rural-urban differences.

To compare the role of neighborhood social disorganization factors on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis rates in urban and rural areas in Florida, we conducted an ecologic study of HIV diagnosis rates during 2013-2017 and social disorganization components, including concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, and residential instability. Indices of social disorganization components were obtained from principal component analyses of American Community Survey variables for 910 postal codes. Rural/urban classification was based on the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Urban Commuting Area codes. Using multivariable linear regression, the relationship between social disorganization indices and HIV diagnosis rates was assessed. The only social disorganization index that was significantly higher in rural than urban areas was concentrated disadvantage. In rural areas, the concentrated disadvantage index was significantly associated with HIV diagnosis rates (P = .007) when controlling for the other social disorganization factors but was no longer significant after additionally controlling for prevalence of people with an HIV diagnosis who were not virally suppressed. In urban areas, even after controlling for prevalence of people with HIV who were not virally suppressed, lower male-to-female population ratios and higher scores of residential instability, concentrated disadvantage, and LatinX/immigrant density indices were associated with higher HIV diagnosis rates (all P < .01). In addition to improving community levels of viral suppression, the community contextual environment, including the rurality of the environment, needs to be considered in strategies to end the HIV epidemic in the United States.

Association of neighborhood-level social determinants and food environments with pediatric hypertension care.

Despite the apparent relationship between neighborhood characteristics and health, few studies of child health address neighborhood-level barriers, which may contribute to clinic no-show rates and difficulties following treatment plans in children and youth. We used longitudinal data from an outpatient hypertension clinic to examine neighborhood social disorganization, built environments, and their associations with patients' clinic attendance and the risk of obesity/hypertension using mixed-effects regression models. Patients from disorganized neighborhoods were less likely to attend a baseline visit, and more likely to develop overweight/obesity and hypertension during follow-up. High-level fast-food expenditures in the neighborhood were associated with higher BMI percentiles and SBP during follow-up.

How is neighborhood social disorganization associated with diabetes outcomes? A multilevel investigation of glycemic control and self-reported use of acute or emergency health care services

BackgroundDiabetes management is influenced by a number of factors beyond the individual-level. This study examined how neighborhood social disorganization (i.e., neighborhoods characterized by high economic disadvantage, residential instability, and ethnic heterogeneity), is associated with diabetes-related outcomes.MethodsWe used a multilevel modeling approach to investigate the associations between census-tract neighborhood social disorganization, A1c, and self-reported use of acute or emergency health care services for a sample of 424 adults with type 2 diabetes.ResultsIndividuals living in neighborhoods with high social disorganization had higher A1c values than individuals living in neighborhoods with medium social disorganization (B = 0.39, p = 0.01). Individuals living in neighborhoods with high economic disadvantage had higher self-reported use of acute or emergency health care services than individuals living in neighborhoods with medium economic disadvantage (B = 0.60, p = 0.02).ConclusionsHigh neighborhood social disorganization was associated with higher A1c values and high neighborhood economic disadvantage was associated with greater self-reported use of acute or emergency health care services. Controlling for individual level variables diminished this effect for A1c, but not acute or emergency health care use. Comprehensive approaches to diabetes management should include attention to neighborhood context. Failure to do so may help explain the continuing disproportionate diabetes burden in many neighborhoods despite decades of attention to individual-level clinical care and education.Trial registrationFor this study, we used baseline data from a larger study investigating the impacts on patient-centered outcomes of three different approaches to self-monitoring of blood glucose among 450 adults with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes living in North Carolina. This study was registered as a clinical trial on 1/7/2014 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02033499).

The Synergy of Family and Neighborhood on Rural Dating Violence Victimization.

Rural adolescents are at high risk for dating violence victimization (DVV), which has serious negative consequences. Understanding more about the conditions that increase DVV risk for rural adolescents is needed to inform prevention efforts. In response to calls for examining the influence of upper levels of the social ecology on adolescent dating violence, this study examined whether associations between the family context and physical DVV were conditioned by the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which the family resided. Data were from a multi-wave longitudinal study of 3,236 rural adolescents nested in 65 block groups, which defined neighborhoods. Data were collected between 2003 and 2005. Multilevel growth curve modeling was conducted in 2014 to test hypothesized synergistic effects of the family and neighborhood on trajectories of physical DVV from grade 8 to 12. Low parental closeness was a DVV risk in residentially stable (p<0.001), but not unstable, neighborhoods. Family aggression was a DVV risk, regardless of neighborhood characteristics (p=0.001). Low parental monitoring and rule setting were not DVV risks and their effects were not moderated by neighborhood characteristics. Neighborhood ethnic heterogeneity was significantly (p<0.05) positively associated with DVV, but neighborhood economic disadvantage, social disorganization, and violence were not associated with DVV. None of the effects varied by sex of the adolescent, across time (grade), or by the combination of sex and time. Findings demonstrate the importance of considering the family and neighborhood, and particularly their synergistic effects in efforts to prevent adolescent DVV.

Social disorganization of neighborhoods and incidence of psychotic disorders: a 7-year first-contact incidence study.

Environmental factors such as urban birth and ethnic minority position have been related to risk for psychotic disorders. There is some evidence that not only individual, but also neighborhood characteristics influence this risk. The aim of this study was to investigate social disorganization of neighborhoods and incidence of psychotic disorders. The research was a 7-year first-contact incidence study of psychotic disorders in The Hague. Neighborhood characteristics included continuous, dichotomous and cumulative measures of socio-economic level, residential mobility, ethnic diversity, proportion of single person households, voter turnout, population density and crime level. Using multilevel Poisson regression analysis, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of psychotic disorders were calculated for the indicators of neighborhood social disorganization. A total of 618 incident cases were identified. Neighborhood socio-economic level and residential mobility had the strongest association with incidence of psychotic disorders [individual-level adjusted Wald χ2 1=13.03 (p=0.0003) and 5.51 (p=0.02), respectively]. All but one (proportion of single person households) of the dichotomous neighborhood indicators were significantly associated with a higher IRR. The cumulative degree of neighborhood social disorganization was strongly and linearly associated with the incidence of psychotic disorders (trend test, Wald χ2 5=25.76, p=0.0001). The IRR in neighborhoods with the highest degree of social disorganization was 1.95 (95% CI 1.38-2.75) compared with the lowest disorganization category. The findings suggest that the risk for developing a psychotic disorder is higher for people living in socially disorganized environments. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate causality.

Social disorganization and police performance to burglary calls: a tale of two cities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the distribution of police response time to in-progress burglaries differ according to the level of social disorganization across different neighborhoods. Design/methodology/approach – Using 2006 calls for service data collected from the Dallas and Houston Police Departments and from the 2000 US Bureau of Census statistics, the effects of social disorganization on police performance were examined through multilevel analysis of the distribution of police response time patterns across different neighborhoods in Dallas and Houston. Findings – The analysis of the DPD and HPD in-progress calls produced somewhat consistent findings on the relationship between the level of social disorganization and police response time. Concentrated disadvantage, immigrant concentration, and residential stability are important predictors of the distribution of police response time patterns in Dallas and Houston. Practical implications – Neighborhood social disorganization is related to the distribution of agency response time patterns. Detailed response time analysis is crucial for agencies to improve police performance and the community-police relationship. Originality/value – In the policing literature, researchers have tended to neglect rapid response when examining many aspects of policing. The present study expands on existing research by examining the theoretical link between the level of neighborhood social disorganization with the distribution of rapid police response to in-progress burglary in two cities.

Neighborhood racial & ethnic diversity as a predictor of child welfare system involvement

Using U.S. Census and child maltreatment report data for 2052 Census tracts in Los Angeles County, California, this study uses spatial regression techniques to explore the relationship between neighborhood social disorganization and maltreatment referral rates for Black, Hispanic and White children. Particular attention is paid to the racial–ethnic diversity (or ‘heterogeneity’) of neighborhood residents as a risk factor for child welfare system involvement, as social disorganization theory suggests that cultural differences and racism may decrease neighbors' social cohesion and capacity to enforce norms regarding acceptable parenting and this may, in turn, increase neighborhood rates of child maltreatment. Results from this study indicate that racial–ethnic diversity is a risk factor for child welfare involvement for all three groups of children studied, even after controlling for other indicators of social disorganization. Black, Hispanic and White children living in diverse neighborhoods are significantly more likely to be reported to Child Protective Services than children of the same race/ethnicity living in more homogeneous neighborhoods. However, the relationships between child welfare system involvement and the other indicators of social disorganization measured, specifically impoverishment, immigrant concentration child care burden, residential instability, and housing stress, varied considerably between Black, Hispanic and White children. For Black children, only housing stress predicted child maltreatment referral rates; whereas, neighborhood impoverishment, residential instability, and child care burden also predicted higher child maltreatment referral rates for Hispanic and White children. Immigrant concentration was unrelated to maltreatment referral rates for Black and Hispanic children, and predicted lower maltreatment referral rates for White children. Taken together, these findings suggest that racial–ethnic diversity may be one of the more reliable neighborhood-level demographic indicators of child welfare risk across different racial/ethnic groups of children. However, many of the other neighborhood characteristics that influence child maltreatment referrals differ for Black, Hispanic and White children. Consequently, neighborhood-based family support initiatives should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to child abuse prevention and strategically consider the racial/ethnic make-up of targeted communities.

Early Adolescent Perceptions of Neighborhood

Considerable evidence shows the detriments of neighborhood social disorganization for urban youth. Researchers have focused less on potential neighborhood strengths or on the interplay of neighborhood perceptions and objective neighborhood characteristics. The authors examined the presence and perception of positive and negative neighborhood characteristics among urban ethnically diverse families, the similarity in early adolescents’ and mothers’ perceptions, and the association between sociodemographic characteristics, perceptions, and youth outcomes. The sample consisted of 608 ethnically diverse early adolescents and 128 mother–adolescent dyads. Adolescents’ reports of positive and negative neighborhood characteristics were empirically distinct and moderately correlated. Mothers and adolescents viewed their neighborhoods differently. Census measures of neighborhood disadvantage were positively associated with adolescents’ and mothers’ perceptions of negative neighborhood characteristics but differently associated with positive neighborhood characteristics. Neighborhood characteristics were differentially associated with youth outcomes. The authors discuss the importance of the neighborhood context, particularly positive neighborhood characteristics, for urban families.

Neighborhood characteristics and auto theft: An empirical research from the social disorganization perspective

Despite the prevalence of auto theft and associated economic loss, the offense is relatively underexplored in the literature. The current study examines auto theft in the context of social disorganization theory. Using 2000 US Census data and 2005 Houston Police Department incident reports, auto theft rates across census tracts are compared on four dimensions of neighborhood social disorganization. Multivariate analysis indicates support for social disorganization theory; concentrated disadvantage, residential stability and racial heterogeneity had a significant effect on auto theft rates. In contrast, neighborhood immigration did not affect auto theft rates. The limitations of the study and policy implications are discussed.

Neighborhood Social Disorganization and the Acquisition of Trichomoniasis Among Young Adults in the United States

Objectives. We examined relationships between neighborhood social disorganization and trichomoniasis among young US adults. Methods. We employed multilevel logistic regression modeling with secondary data from wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2001–2002). The dependent variable—trichomoniasis—was measured via urine testing. The measures for neighborhood social disorganization were derived from the 2000 US Census—racial and ethnic composition, concentrated poverty, and residential instability. The sample comprised 11 370 individuals across 4912 neighborhoods. Results. Trichomoniasis was more likely in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of Black residents (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03, 1.30). However, this association was mediated by neighborhood concentrated poverty. Furthermore, young adults who lived in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of poverty were significantly more likely to have trichomoniasis (AOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.46). Neither immigrant concentration nor residential instability was significantly associated with trichomoniasis. Conclusions. These findings strengthen the evidence that neighborhood structural conditions are associated with individual sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. Research is needed to explore the mechanisms through which these conditions influence STI. In addition, STI-prevention programs that include structural interventions targeting neighborhood disadvantage are needed.

Neighborhood Social Disorganization and the Acquisition of Trichomoniasis Among Young Adults in the United States

We examined relationships between neighborhood social disorganization and trichomoniasis among young US adults. We employed multilevel logistic regression modeling with secondary data from wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2001-2002). The dependent variable-trichomoniasis-was measured via urine testing. The measures for neighborhood social disorganization were derived from the 2000 US Census-racial and ethnic composition, concentrated poverty, and residential instability. The sample comprised 11 370 individuals across 4912 neighborhoods. Trichomoniasis was more likely in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of Black residents (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03, 1.30). However, this association was mediated by neighborhood concentrated poverty. Furthermore, young adults who lived in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of poverty were significantly more likely to have trichomoniasis (AOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.46). Neither immigrant concentration nor residential instability was significantly associated with trichomoniasis. These findings strengthen the evidence that neighborhood structural conditions are associated with individual sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. Research is needed to explore the mechanisms through which these conditions influence STI. In addition, STI-prevention programs that include structural interventions targeting neighborhood disadvantage are needed.

Sex Differences in the Effects of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Social Organization on Rural Adolescents' Aggression Trajectories

We determined whether effects of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on trajectories of aggression were moderated or mediated by neighborhood social organization and examined sex differences in neighborhood effects for rural adolescents. We used five waves of survey data collected over 2.5 years linked with neighborhood data from interviews with parents and the US Census. The sample (N = 5,118) was 50.1% female, 52.0% white and 38.3% African-American; average age at baseline was 13.1 years. Multilevel growth curve models for both girls and boys showed no significant interactions between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and indicators of social organization. Neither sample showed evidence of mediated effects. In main effects models, neighborhood disadvantage was associated with the average aggression trajectory for girls. For boys, the effects of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and social disorganization appeared to be confounded with each other. Neighborhood disadvantage is detrimental for rural girls regardless of the level of social organization.

Neighborhood Effects on the Efficacy of a Program to Prevent Youth Alcohol Use

This study examines how neighborhood characteristics affect program efficacy. Data come from a randomized trial of a substance use prevention program called keepin′ it REAL, which was administered to a predominantly Mexican American sample of 4,622 middle school students in Phoenix, Arizona, beginning in 1998. Multilevel models and multiple imputation techniques address clustered data and attrition. Among less linguistically acculturated Latinos, living in poorer neighborhoods and those with many single-mother families decreased program effectiveness in combating alcohol use. High neighborhood immigrant composition increased program effectiveness. Unexpectedly, the program was also more effective in neighborhoods with higher rates of crime. There were no significant effects on program efficacy for the more linguistically acculturated Latinos and non-Hispanic White students. Findings are discussed in light of theories of neighborhood social disorganization, immigrant adaptation, and social isolation.

Emphasizing Fear of Crime in Models of Neighborhood Social Disorganization

The place of fear of crime in traditional models of neighborhood social disorganization is rather ambiguous. This paper discusses the literatures on social disorganization theory and fear of crime, arguing for a model of social disorganization that explicitly incorporates fear of crime rather than ignoring it, assuming it, or using proxies for it. After providing an overview of the links between the social disorganization and fear of crime literatures, this paper elaborates on Robert Bursik's (1988) framework to show how a dynamic model of social disorganization may incorporate fear of crime. Specifically, this paper more closely examines the idea that fear of crime is the point of departure for a reciprocal effect feedback loop in social disorganization theory. This paper also claims that a dynamic model of social disorganization can include the concept of fear of crime as a mediator between community-level structures and the intervening social control variables that causally precede crime. Other criminological approaches to fear of crime are also explored and the implications for future research are discussed.

Neighborhood violent crime and unemployment increase the risk of coronary heart disease: A multilevel study in an urban setting

Little is known about the association between neighborhood social disorganization and coronary heart disease (CHD). This study used the theoretical frameworks of the Chicago school and the Stirling County group in order to analyze the impact of neighborhood violent crime and neighborhood unemployment on CHD in an urban setting, the capital of Sweden. The entire population of Stockholm County aged 35–64 years on January 1, 1998 was included in the study. All individuals were followed for CHD until December 31, 1998. Small area neighborhood units were used to define neighborhoods. The neighborhood-level variables were calculated as rates of violent crime or unemployment in the small area neighborhood units, categorized in quintiles. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and neighborhood-level variance in three different models. When rates of neighborhood violent crime or neighborhood unemployment increased, the risk of CHD increased among both women and men. In neighborhoods with the highest rates of violent crime (quintile 5), the odds ratios were 1.75 (CI=1.37–2.22) and 1.39 (CI=1.19–1.63) for women and men, respectively. In neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rates, the corresponding odds ratios were 2.05 (CI=1.62–2.59) and 1.50 (CI=1.28–1.75). These average neighborhood effects on CHD (fixed effects) remained almost unaltered after inclusion of the individual-level variables. The neighborhood-level variance indicated significant differences in CHD between neighborhoods, and the neighborhood-level and individual-level variables partly explained the variance between neighborhoods (random effects). Public safety and social stability in socially disorganized neighborhoods need to be improved in order to promote cardiovascular health.

A spatial analysis of social disorganization, alcohol access, and rates of child maltreatment in neighborhoods

Parental substance abuse is a major contributing factor to increasing child welfare caseloads. Previous research on the role of substance abuse in child maltreatment has focused almost exclusively on the efficacy of substance abuse treatment programs for parents in reducing the reoccurrence of child abuse. Little attention has been given to the role of neighborhood characteristics or alcohol access on rates of child maltreatment. This study examines the relationship between alcohol access and neighborhood rates of child maltreatment. Using substantiated reports of child maltreatment for 940 census tracts in three counties in California, this study examines the role of neighborhood social disorganization and alcohol access on child abuse and neglect. Spatial regression models show that neighborhoods with higher percentages of poverty, female-headed households, Hispanic residents, population loss, and greater densities of bars have higher rates of child maltreatment. Neighborhoods provide an ideal mechanism for developing preventive interventions of child abuse and neglect because individual families or parents are not targeted for services. Instead, neighborhood characteristics that contribute to potentially harmful living situations for children can be identified and altered. These results suggest that efforts to prevent child maltreatment should focus on neighborhood disadvantage and alcohol outlet densities.

Neighborhood Social Disorganization, Families, and the Educational Behavior of Adolescents

Using data on 1,757 middle and high school students from a nationally representative sample, relationships among youth perceptions of neighborhood characteristics, parenting processes, and their own school behavior, attendance, and grades were tested using structural equation modeling. A model with direct neighborhood effects on selfreported educational behavior as well as indirect effects mediated through perceptions of supportive parenting and parental educational support fit the data well in calibration and validation samples. Perceived neighborhood social disorganization exerted a larger effect than did family processes on self-reported educational behavior. The importance of including measures of neighborhood environment in future research on educational outcomes is discussed in the context of their substantial contribution in the present investigation.

Neighborhood context and youth cardiovascular health behaviors.

This study sought to determine the relationships between race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and cardiovascular health behaviors among youths and whether neighborhood characteristics are associated with such behaviors independently of individual characteristics. Linear models determined the effects of individual and neighborhood characteristics (SES, social disorganization, racial/ethnic minority concentration, urbanization) on dietary habits, physical activity, and smoking among 8165 youths aged 12 to 21 years. Low SES was associated with poorer dietary habits, less physical activity, and higher odds of smoking. After adjustment for SES, Black race was associated with poorer dietary habits and lower odds of smoking. Hispanic ethnicity was associated with healthier dietary habits, lower levels of physical activity, and lower odds of smoking than non-Hispanic ethnicity. Low neighborhood SES and high neighborhood social disorganization were independently associated with poorer dietary habits, while high neighborhood Hispanic concentration and urbanicity were associated with healthier dietary habits. Neighborhood characteristics were not associated with physical activity or smoking. Changes in neighborhood social structures and policies that reduce social inequalities may enhance cardiovascular health behaviors.

Guest Editorial: Neighborhood Social Disorganization as a Cofactor in Violence among People with Mental Disorders

Guest Editorial: Neighborhood Social Disorganization as a Cofactor in Violence among People with Mental Disorders

EXTENDING SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY: A MULTILEVEL APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AMONG PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES*

Prior studies of violence among individuals with mental illnesses have focused almost exclusively on individual‐level characteristics. In this study, I examine whether the structural correlates of neighborhood social disorganization also explain variation in violence. I use data on 270 psychiatric patients who were treated and discharged from an acute inpatient facility combined with tract‐level data from the 1990 U.S. Census. I find that living in a socially disorganized neighborhood increased the probability of violence among the sample, an effect that was not mediated by self‐reported social supports. Implications for future research in the areas of violence and mental illness are discussed.