Neighborhood Activities Research Articles

Citizens with a caregiving experience in the past year are more likely to participate in neighbourhood activities regarding serious illness, death or loss: a cross-sectional survey study

ABSTRACT While death literacy is believed to foster social connections around serious illness, death and loss, limited evidence exists on whether it stimulates neighbourhood participation concerning these topics. This study measured the association between personal experiences with serious illness, death or loss in the past year and neighbourhood participation around these topics, and whether citizens’ self-perceived capacity, skills and self-efficacy developed from previous experiences, strengthens this association. A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 2,324 citizens aged 18+ in two neighbourhoods in Flanders, Belgium, between February and April 2021; 714 citizens responded (31% response rate). Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that people with caregiving experience in the past year were more likely to participate in neighbourhood activities regarding serious illness, death or loss (ß = 0.161; CI = 0.378–1.276) than those without such experience. This association strengthened (ß = 0.193; CI = 0.588–1.393) when adding self-perceived capacity and skills developed from previous experiences to the analysis, indicating increased participation among those who felt they gained capacity and skills. We recommend that researchers look into other aspects of death literacy which might be better mediating predictors, and explore the mechanisms behind the associations we measured.

Investigating the independent and synergistic associations between neighbourhood greenness and physical activity in relation to perceived mental health among adults in Canada

ABSTRACT The relationships among neighbourhood greenness, physical activity, and mental health are unclear; therefore, we examined the independent and synergistic associations between neighbourhood greenness and self-rated mental health among a nationally representative sample of urban-dwelling adults in Canada (18–79 years) from the 2007–2019 Canadian Health Measures Survey (n = 12,531). We assessed neighbourhood greenness using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within a 500-meter radius of participants’ residential postal codes. We measured physical activity using accelerometers and determined adherence to the recommended 150-minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) per week. We used weighted logistic regression models to test whether MVPA guideline adherence was an effect modifier in the association between neighbourhood greenness and self-rated mental health, adjusting for individual and neighbourhood characteristics. Neighbourhood greenness (aOR = 0.89 [0.62, 1.29]) and MVPA adherence (aOR = 1.22 [0.89, 1.69]) were not associated with self-rated mental health, and no interaction were found on the additive (Relative Excess Risk Due to Interaction = -0.45 [−1.24, 0.35], Attributable Proportion = -0.38 [−1.02, 0.26], Synergy Index = 0.28 [0.02, 3.20]) or multiplicative (OR = 0.7 [0.4, 1.3]) scales. Engaging in the recommended amount of MVPA did not change the finding that Canadian adults had similar self-rated mental health regardless of their neighbourhood greenness.

Neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy of older adults: The mediating role of daily activity opportunities

IntroductionThe social and health benefits of physical self-efficacy have led to a strong interest in identifying neighborhood environment factors related to self-efficacy of older adults. However, little is known about the relationship between neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy. This study aims to investigate the structural relationships among neighborhood facilities, activity opportunities, and physical self-efficacy. MethodsData were collected through a survey of 788 older adults aged 60 and over living in Dalian, China; commercial, medical and recreational facilities were selected; the built environment characteristics were quantified in terms of location advantages, path patency, environmental comfort, suitability of design, travel convenience and environmental safety; and the relationships were assessed using path analyses. ResultsDaily activity perception was positively related to physical self-efficacy through daily activity participation. A greater presence of sidewalks around food markets and a larger residential area around clinics were associated with higher physical self-efficacy through increased the number of daily activity participation. More streetlights around drugstores and a higher density of main-road networks around gymnasiums were associated with more perceived opportunities for outdoor activities among older adults. The distance between an individual's house and the shopping mall was negatively related to daily activity opportunities and physical self-efficacy. ConclusionsThe findings demonstrated the mediating role of daily activity opportunities in the relationships between neighborhood facilities and physical self-efficacy. These findings have implications for the development of environmental optimization strategies of public service facilities to promote physical self-efficacy among older adults.

Built environmental characteristics, physical activity in neighbourhoods of Accra, Ghana

Abstract There is increasing evidence that characteristics of the built environment can influence residents’ lifestyles, physical activity thereby influencing the development of obesity and non-communicable diseases even in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of the built and the social environment of neighbourhoods of Accra, Ghana, and to explore association between neighbourhood characteristics and the physical activity of the residents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Accra, 12 neighbourhoods were randomly selected based on high and low values of residential density and socioeconomic status. Sociodemographic, household and neighbourhood information were collected with an adapted questionnaire of NEWS (Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale) for Africa. Physical activity was assessed by WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and social cohesion by the Perceived Neighbourhood Social Cohesion Questionnaire. Differences between variables by neighbourhood types were analysed using Chi square test and Kruskal Wallis test. Generalized linear model was performed to determine the association between neighbourhood characteristics and residents’ physical activity. The built environmental characteristics of different neighbourhood types and the physical activity of the residents showed significant differences. The associations indicated that individuals living in high residential density neighbourhoods had increased levels of engaging in physical activities. Land use mix, street connectivity, safety, aesthetics and social cohesion of neighbourhoods showed correlation with physical activity of residents. The built environment and social characteristics of neighbourhoods can influence the lifestyle and physical activity of residents in Accra, Ghana. Key messages • High residential density neighbourhoods correlated with higher level of physical activity. • Land use, street connectivity, safety and aesthetic of neighbourhoods and social cohesion showed correlation with physical activity.

Identifying Strategies to Cultivate Students’ Attitude Towards Circular Economy

Circular economy (CE) in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) refers to an economic approach that promotes efficient use of resources, material recovery, and waste reduction through vocational education. Despite various activities and programs conducted by TVET instructors to promote the circular economy, reports indicate that students' attitudes towards the environment remain at a moderate level. This paper aims to identify strategies that can be implemented to foster students' interest in practicing the circular economy within the context of TVET. This study uses the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) as an alternative approach to suggest initiatives that can foster students' attitudes towards the circular economy. The process involved silent idea generation, round robin, discussion, two rounds of initial voting, and a final stage survey to determine the priority list. Five content experts participated in the NGT meeting. Initially, 50 strategies were identified. Through the NGT process, 20 important strategies were selected to cultivate students' attitudes towards the circular economy. These strategies include waste management workshops, environmental programs and activities at institutions, conducive public sector ecosystem (EKSA) in institutions, homes and neighborhoods, information boards, simulation outside the classroom, daily routines, campaigns, neighborhood activities, sale of used oil, sale of recycled goods, innovation, waste segregation, cultivating student awareness, application in teaching, motivation, moral support, cleanliness and cheerfulness competitions, environment week, incorporating circular economy in the syllabus, and cross-curricular elements. The identified strategies are expected to assist stakeholders in overseeing the implementation of environmental awareness programs in schools, colleges, and TVET institutions, with the goal of improving student attitudes and transforming TVET education towards greater circular economy awareness.

“Stop AIDS Evictions!”

The early AIDS epidemic in New York City revealed the intersection of two long-term crises impacting gay and lesbian tenants in the city: a critical lack of affordable housing and homophobic discrimination in private and public housing provision. People with AIDS and their family members faced tenant harassment, eviction, and structural homophobia in New York State's rent regulations. This article's microhistory of the eviction of Michael Brown, a rent-regulated tenant in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood, highlights how activists brought knowledge acquired in the traditional tenant movement into new gay and lesbian organizations. This collaboration was a result of Chelsea's history as a center of both militant tenant organizing and neighborhood-based gay and lesbian activism. In Chelsea, gay and lesbian residents joined the housing movement as low-income tenants, while also participating in neighborhood activism reflecting their concerns as gay and lesbian residents. Michael Brown's eviction case brought these two local organizing traditions into direct collaboration. This article builds on scholarship revealing the political agency of tenants and recent literature on housing and care during the AIDS epidemic by situating gay and lesbian advocacy for housing during the early AIDS crisis within a long trajectory of New York City tenant activism.

Segregated by whom? Examining triple neighbourhood disadvantages and activity spaces in Seoul, South Korea

This study explores the potential mechanisms by which neighbourhood isolation is created and reinforced in non-home activity locations. The existing discussion on neighbourhood isolation, its consequences, and the subsequent reproduction of interactions between individuals and their environment has focused on their residential locations. However, the vitality of a neighbourhood depends not only on its own socioeconomic conditions but also on the conditions of the other neighbourhoods its residents visit and are visited by. Residential locations are only one of the many spaces in which individuals engage in their activities; therefore, to fully comprehend people’s everyday experiences of integration and isolation, it is imperative to look at interactions within both home and non-home activity spaces. Building on this extended perspective, we examine: (1) whether residential neighbourhood isolation is intensified by socioeconomic conditions individuals’ encounter in consumption and commuting activity spaces; and (2) which socioeconomic group drives the association between residential neighbourhood isolation and activity spaces—whether both disadvantaged and privileged groups contribute to isolation through the differential use of urban space or either group predominantly leads this association. We use Seoul as a case study, characterised as a city that is highly populated, contains multiple economic centres, functions with a highly affordable and efficient public transportation system, and suffers from increasing socioeconomic segregation. The results suggest that mobility patterns in activity spaces tend to reinforce neighbourhood isolation through potential forces driven by neighbourhood homophily. Isolation in the use of urban spaces appears to be driven mainly by the self-seclusion of the most advantaged neighbourhood group, while neighbourhoods in the lower socioeconomic status groups indicate broader cross-interactions across status groups, probably because of Seoul’s transit-friendly environment. Our study contributes to enhancing the understanding of spatial-societal inequalities in Korea and beyond and could assist in formulating policies for a more balanced provision of diverse urban social services and infrastructure.

Examining the importance of neighborhood natural, and built environment factors in predicting older adults' mental well-being: An XGBoost-SHAP approach

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that urban neighborhood environmental factors significantly influence the health outcomes of urban older adults. However, most cross-sectional studies exploring the health effects of these factors have failed to quantify the relative importance of each factor. MethodsWe use XGBoost machine learning techniques and SHAPley Additive Interpretation (SHAP) to rank the importance of urban neighborhood environmental factors in shaping the mental health of urban older adults. To address self-selection bias in housing choice, we distinguish older adults living in private housing from those living in public as residents in private housing have more freedom to choose where to live. ResultsThe results show that both natural and built environmental factors in urban neighborhoods are important predictors of mental well-being scores. Five natural environmental factors (blue space, perceived greenery quantity, NDVI, street view greenness, aesthetic quality) and three built environmental factors (physical activity facilities quality, physical activity facilities quantity, neighborhood disorder) had considerable predictive power for mental well-being scores in two groups. Among them, blue space, perceived greenery quantity and street view greenness quantity became less important after controlling for self-selection bias, possibly because of the unequal distribution of quantity and quality, and the performance of neighborhood disorder, aesthetic quality and physical activity facilities quality was more sensitive in public housing. ConclusionsThese results highlight the nuanced and differential effects of neighborhood environmental exposures on mental well-being outcomes, depending on housing preferences. The results of this study can provide support for decision makers in urban planning, landscape design and environmental management in order to improve the mental well-being status of urban older adults.

Citizens’ perspectives on healthy weight approaches in low SEP neighborhoods: a qualitative study from a systems perspective

BackgroundThe physical and the social environment are important predictors of healthy weight, especially in low socioeconomic position (SEP) neighborhoods. Many Dutch municipalities have implemented a healthy weight approach (HWA). Yet, there is room for improvement. This system science study examined what influences the utilization of HWA facilities and activities, and what aspects can help to achieve a desired systems change (also called leverage point themes (LPTs)) in the HWA system as perceived by citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods.MethodAll research phases were performed with four citizens co-researchers. Forty-seven citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods were semi-structurally interviewed about the neighborhood HWA facilities and municipal HWA activities. A rapid coding qualitative analysis approach was applied per topic. The topics were citizens’ healthy living description, personal circumstances, and satisfaction with foot and cycle paths, sports facilities, playgrounds, green spaces, museums and theaters, community centers, churches, healthcare, school, food supplies, contact with neighborhood, unfamiliar and/or unused activities, familiar and used activities, unavailable but desired (lacking) activities, and reaching citizens.ResultsThe utilization of HWA facilities and activities was influenced by the overarching themes of social cohesion, familiarity, reaching citizens, maintenance, safety, physical accessibility, financial accessibility, social accessibility, fit with personal context, and fit with the neighborhood’s specific needs. Different overarching themes stood out across different facilities and activities. LPTs indicated the overarching themes needed in combination with one another for a specific activity or facility to increase utilization. For example, the LPT regarding foot and cycle paths was “accessible, safe, and maintained foot and cycle paths”. The LPTs regarding familiar and used activities were “customized activities; information provision (e.g., about possibilities to join without paying); social contact, meeting others, and everyone feels included”.ConclusionConducting inclusive qualitative research from a systems perspective among citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods has contributed valuable insights into their needs. This enables practical implementation of HWAs by providing a deeper understanding of the LPTs within the HWA system. LPTs can help HWA stakeholders to further develop current HWAs toward systems approaches. Future research could study the leverage points that may contribute to LPT implementation.

Residential transformations and real estate market trends associated with tourism activity in urban popular sectors: Ciudad Bolívar in Bogotá

Purpose This study aims to identify the transformations of the residential landscape and trends in the popular real estate market associated with tourist activity in a low-income neighborhood in Bogotá. Design/methodology/approach The methodology was mainly qualitative, although the author analyzed some quantitative data. The author conducted three guided tourist tours in the area and systematically compared photographs taken in 2022 with satellite images in 2019 before starting the tourist activity. To analyze the real estate market, the author uses data on housing offers for sale and rent. Finally, the author conducted semi-structured interviews with tour guides, residents and other key actors in the sector. Findings This study identified some dynamics of change in the real estate market, particularly associated with an increase in housing sales and rental prices, as well as a possible effect on the increase of new informal growth processes. The author found a growing transformation of the urban and residential landscape associated with the painting of facades by the local administration and mural painting processes by community organizations. There are evident housing investment processes, some associated with verticalization and other use changes for tourism activities. It is necessary to reflect on these processes’ effects on the city’s sociospatial dynamics. Originality/value This study makes an empirical contribution to the relationship between residential real estate markets in low-income sectors and tourism activity. Although analyses of community-based tourism in popular areas have been conducted, less is known about the effects on the real estate market and the associated sociospatial transformations.

Understanding the research landscape of Neighbourhood, physical activity and climate through Bibliometric analysis

The phenomenon of less physical activities - caused by today’s lifestyle is closely related to the quality of the neighbourhood in term of promoting physical activities such as walking, playing in parks, and other social activities. Less physical activities are currently one of the causes of the emergence of non-communicable disease (NCD). For this reason, it is very important to delve how the neighbourhood relate with the physical activity and how the impact of the climate in increasing or decreasing the physical activities and quality of the neighbourhood as well. This research focus on Neighbourhood, physical activity and climate as creator factor of NCD. This study aims to find the evidence of the relationship between neighbourhood quality and physical activities, as well aa climate factor that influence the physical activities in tropical area. Using articles retrieved from the Scopus Database in the period 1997 to 2023, metadata analysis was performed using RStudio software, the Bibliometrix package, and the Biblioshiny web interface. Through Bibliometric analysis, relevant sources, topics related to research publications regarding neighbourhoods can be explored. Global scientific distribution, level of collaboration between regions, author performance and publication are also examined to determine the scientific landscape. The results of correlation studies between neighbourhood, physical activity and tropical climate resulted in relatively few research papers in tropical area and this illustrates a fairly large gap in terms of the literature.

Contagion by COVID-19 in the cities: commuting distance and residential density matter?

PurposeThis study addresses the COVID-19 infection and its relationship with the city’s constructive intensity, commuting time to work and labor market dynamics during the lockdown period.Design/methodology/approachMicrodata from formal workers in Recife was used to adjust a probability model for disease contraction.FindingsThe authors' results indicate that greater distance to employment increases the probability of infection. The same applies to constructive intensity, suggesting that residences in denser areas, such as apartments in buildings, condominiums and informal settlements, elevate the chances of contracting the disease. It is also observed that formal workers with completed higher education have lower infection risks, while healthcare professionals on the frontlines of combating the disease face higher risks than others. The lockdown effectively reduced contagion by limiting people’s mobility during the specified period.Research limitations/implicationsThe research shows important causal relationships, making it possible to think about public policies for the health of individuals both when commuting to work and in living conditions, aiming to control contagion by COVID-19.Practical implicationsThe lockdown effectively reduced contagion by limiting people’s mobility during the specified period.Social implicationsIt is also observed that formal workers with completed higher education have lower infection risks, while healthcare professionals on the frontlines of combating the disease face higher risks than others.Originality/valueThe authors identified positive and significant relationships between these urban characteristics and increased contagion, controlling for neighborhood, individual characteristics, comorbidities, occupations and economic activities.

Community initiatives for well‐being in the United Kingdom and their role in developing social capital and addressing loneliness: A scoping review

AbstractIntroductionLoneliness can have a negative impact on people's physical and psychological well‐being; building social capital is a potential means of addressing this connection. Community initiatives (e.g. groups, clubs, neighbourhood activities) may be a route that enables people to build social capital to tackle loneliness. Understanding what is known, and where gaps in knowledge exist, is important for advancing research on this topic.MethodsA scoping review was undertaken to explore the question – What community initiatives, with a focus on well‐being, have been evaluated in the United Kingdom that include information about social capital and loneliness? Four databases (Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA and Embase) were searched for relevant research papers. References were screened by two researchers to identify if they met the review's inclusion criteria. Data were summarised as a narrative and in tables.ResultsFive papers met the review's inclusion criteria. They all used qualitative methods. Findings suggested that social capital could be developed through creating a sense of trust, group cohesion and reciprocity among participants in the community initiatives. This connection enabled people to experience a sense of belonging and to feel they had a meaningful relationship with others, which appeared to alleviate feelings of loneliness.ConclusionMore research is warranted on the review topic, including studies that have employed quantitative or mixed methods. Clarity around definitions of social capital and loneliness in future research is required. Engagement with community initiatives can provide a formalised route to help people develop connections and counteract limitations in their social networks. However, individuals may be wary about attending community initiatives, needing support and encouragement to do so. Social prescribing link workers are one means of motivating people to access groups, events or organisations that could improve their well‐being.

Infrastructure of the neighborhood and physical activity of the Russian population. The ESSE-RF3 study results

Infrastructure of the neighborhood and physical activity of the Russian population. The ESSE-RF3 study results

Changes in the Perceptions of the Neighborhood Environment and Physical Activity Patterns Among Mexican Americans on the Texas-Mexico Border.

Little research on the association of neighborhood environment with physical activity in resource-poor communities has been done. This study assessed changes in perceptions of the neighborhood environment and the association between those perceptions and physical activity in Mexican Americans on the Texas-Mexico border in an area where there would be community efforts to enhance pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and programming. We analyzed data from a population-based cohort of Mexican American individuals on the Texas-Mexico border. From 2008 to 2018, interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect perceptions of neighborhood environment and physical activity at baseline, 5- and 10-year follow-ups, and at other ancillary study visits, with an average of 3 data points per participant. We conducted multivariable longitudinal logistic regression analyses to assess if the changes in odds of positive perceptions of the neighborhood environment over the study years differed by physical activity patterns. The sample (n = 1036) was mostly female (71%), born in Mexico (70%), and had no health insurance (69%). We saw improvements in the perceptions of several neighborhood environment attributes from 2008 to 2018, though we saw different longitudinal trajectories in these perceptions based on an individual's longitudinal physical activity patterns. By 2014-2018, we saw significantly higher positive perceptions of the neighborhood environment for those who consistently met physical activity guidelines compared with those who did not (adjusted rate ratio = 1.12, P = .049). We found that perceptions of many neighborhood environment attributes improved between 2008 and 2018, and that overall positive perceptions were associated with consistently meeting physical activity guidelines over time.

Health Equity: Access to Outdoor Fitness Equipment.

Adequate outdoor fitness equipment is essential for physical activity in lower income neighborhoods. San Francisco, CA, in the United States will be highlighted as a city with a large death rate, which could be improved by installing, promoting, and allowing access to fitness equipment. More than 2700 accidental overdose deaths have occurred since the year 2019, with a projected cumulative death rate expected to exceed 3000 human lives by the end of 2023. A contrast of the health inequities is illuminated in one of the nation's wealthiest cities. This is a call to action to bring about change, save lives, and promote healthier behavior.

Community capacity and the reporting of extortion victimization

ABSTRACT The present research examines the impact of actualised collective efficacy on the probability of reporting extortion victimisation in Mexico. The mechanisms that encourage crime reporting have been an important area of study for years, however the specific factors that increase the probability of reporting extortion have eluded examination. The analysis extends the concept of collective efficacy, adapting it to contexts where actual informal social control effects can be examined. Therefore, the present study moves beyond perceptions and measures knowledge of, and participation in, such neighbourhood activities. The statistical analysis of 3,453 cases of extortion revealed that both actualised collective efficacy and participation in informal social control were strong predictors of reporting extortion victimisation to authorities after controlling for 20 other potentially confounding variables.

Resettled Refugees and African Americans in the Same Neighborhoods: Insights for Intergroup Dynamics and Multicultural Community Building

After resettlement, refugees are situated to navigate new environments and social relationships with nonrefugee residents in the United States. This study focuses on the intergroup dynamics between refugees and native African American residents with whom refugees often share spatial boundaries in urban neighborhoods. Based on 30 in-depth interviews in Albany, NY and Clarkson, GA, our findings suggest that both groups share the experiences of social marginalization and disadvantageous neighborhood factors. On the other hand, each group differed in their views on the police and the type of poverty that they deal with. Although two groups rarely collaborated, solidarity was deemed possible and desirable. Several suggestions for community building were made, including cross-cultural activities for youth and neighborhood activism for adults. Future research can examine the space-making and rights-seeking processes of resettled refugees in the context of urban poverty and in their relation to other locals.

Disentangling Stereotypes towards Older Age Groups: Evidence from Factorial Survey Experiments in China and the USA

Introduction: Older adults are usually perceived as warmer but less competent than younger adults. This study examined how these stereotypes are related to domain-specific attributes and how individuals’ values may moderate the association. Methods: We recruited 560 Chinese participants (mean age [SD]: 23.14 ± 7.08 years old, ranging from 18 to 60 years old) and 479 American participants (mean age [SD]: 31.37 ± 7.19 years old, ranging from 18 to 57 years old). Participants rated perceived warmth and competence of older adults based on vignettes with varying descriptions of specific domains (i.e., three relational domains: number of friends, family relationship quality, and engagement in neighbourhood activities; and three individualistic domains: income, depression, and memory) and personal attributes (i.e., gender, age, and independence). Results: Firstly, the results showed that relational domains predict warmth, whereas individualistic domains predict competence in both samples from China and the USA. Secondly, in both samples, people with higher communal values attributed more relevance to relational domains on judgement of warmth. Lastly, only in the US sample did people with higher agentic values attribute more relevance to individualistic domains on judgement of competence. Discussion/Conclusion: The study revealed that personal values, when determined relatively, contribute to stereotypes of older adults in the two independent samples.

Community development via performing art: considering a community theatre intervention

Abstract This paper contributes to a reflection on the relationship between community development and performing art. It discusses the possible effects of a community theatre with regard to social and cultural capital, social inclusion, and audience development in Turin (Italy). This form of artistic production can promote social ties and participation in cultural activities and increase social and cultural inclusion, key values in community development. We examine audience characteristics, development, and appreciation as the primary indicators of success, as perceived by selected stakeholders, within the context of a single case study. The intervention involved a heterogeneous audience of people who usually do not participate in neighbourhood activities and/or attend artistic-theatrical performances. As stated by the stakeholders, the project was appreciated and its impact on the citizenry was positive, particularly for the cognitive and emotional involvement and the heightened awareness of often hidden or unknown problems and resources. Limitations are also discussed.