Characteristics Of Social Environment Research Articles

Development of a contextualized index of multiple deprivation for age-friendly cities: Evidence from Hong Kong

Deprivation refers to the state of having unmet basic needs, defined by societal standards. We argue that the mono emphasis on material deprivation is insufficient, as the characteristics of physical and social environments play a crucial role in either accelerating deprivation or providing additional resources/support to compensate for lack of income or basic household demands. We extend the focal point of the multiple deprivation framework to Hong Kong, an ultra-dense metropolis experiencing rapid demographic aging. We construct a Hong Kong index of multiple deprivation with seven domains. Highly deprived neighborhoods are likely to be located in areas with ultra-high residential density, where living conditions are substandard (e.g., subdivided units). Urban areas that used to have a large proportion of resettlement and industrial lands are likely to become deprived owing to the uneven distribution of urban amenities and the fragmentation of residential areas by industrial land.

Urbanicity and psychotic experiences: Social adversities, isolation and exposure to natural environments predict psychosis

BackgroundResearch has shown that incidence rates of psychotic experiences are higher in urban areas, defined by their population density, and that an increasing number of people move to cities. Thus, it is critical to understand which characteristics of cities drive this association. To date, efforts to explore urban risk have predominantly focused on a few or single preselected candidate factors and clinical populations. MethodsWe aimed to identify the best predictors of psychotic experiences (PE) in a subclinical population, considering 26 factors describing the physical and social environment. Two feature selection models were employed, i.e., a Boruta algorithm, a random forests approach, and an elastic net penalised logistic regression model. ResultsIndividual-specific social environment features emerged as the most robust predictors of PE, including childhood adversity, stressful life events, social isolation and low household income. Exposure to natural environments was found to be negatively associated with PE. ConclusionsSpending more time in residential natural environments could be an actionable target for preventing and treating psychosis.

Predicting performance in exams and deep approach to learning in first year university students: a new look at academic success

ABSTRACT This study calls for a broadening of the perspective on academic success. While passing exams is an essential objective of higher education, it should not overshadow another important objective which is the development of students’ skills, such as becoming curious, autonomous and reflective in the learning process. This study used Academic Performance in Exams (APE) and Deep Approach to Learning (DAL) as measures related to these two objectives. The aim was to identify and compare the factors that may influence APE and DAL. The study was conducted on first-year students (2011) at a French university. It was based on a random forest algorithm and took into account a wide range of factors belonging to different dimensions: demographics, social background, educational background, context of the educational programme, behavioural engagement, social environment, psychological and cognitive characteristics. The results show that the most important factors in predicting APE are the educational programme undertaken, student’s educational background and parents’ occupation. DAL was not found to be an important factor in APE. Regarding the prediction of DAL, the results point to the predominant weight of intrinsic motivation and the important weight of elaborated epistemic beliefs. In contrast, demographics and behavioural engagement were found to have negligible weight in predicting both APE and DAL. These findings raise questions about the type of success that is valued in the first year of university and call for reflection on assessment methods. They also allow the identification of levers that teachers can activate to support first year students.

Assessing the impact of socio-demographics and farming activity on ward-level mortality patterns using farm and population decennial censuses.

Farmers experience a specific set of unique dangers, which increases their risk of mortality compared with any other occupation. This study hypothesised that Northern Ireland's (NIs) agriculturally saturated Wards have a higher risk of mortality compared against non-agriculturally based Wards. The Population Census and Farm Census information were downloaded from the Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Service (NINIS) online depository to compile three mortality-based data sets (2001, 2011, pooled data sets). Assessing the impact of socio-demographics and farming activity on Ward-level mortality patterns using farm and population decennial censuses. This study analysed all 582 Ward areas of NI, which enclosed the entire populace of the country in 2001 and 2011. Path analysis was utilised to examine direct and indirect paths linked with mortality within two census years (2001; 2011), alongside testing pathways for invariance between census years (pooled data set). Ward-level results provided evidence for exogenous variables to mortality operating through three/four endogenous variables via: (i) direct effects (age), (ii) summed indirect effects (age; males; living alone; farming profit; and deprivation) and (iii) total effects (age; males; living alone; and deprivation). Multi-group results cross-validated these cause-and-effect relationships relating to mortality. This study demonstrated that farming intensity scores, farming profits and socio-demographics' influence on mortality risk in a Ward were dependent on the specific social-environmental characteristics within that area. In line with earlier area level research, results support the aggregated interpretation that higher levels of farming activity within a Ward increase the risk of mortality within those Wards of NI. This was an essential study to enable future tailoring of new strategies and upgrading of current policies to bring about significant mortality risk change at local level.

Exploring emotions in relation to neighborhood environmental characteristics among older adults with low socioeconomic position: A qualitative study using walk-along interviews

Cities are challenged to provide older adults with high-quality neighborhoods that foster their mental health. Older adults with low socioeconomic position (SEP) are at risk for poor mental health, but research in this group is scarce. The neighborhood may have an impact on older adults' mental health through the elicitation of emotions. Qualitative on-site research can provide detailed and context-sensitive information on the experienced emotions. The aim of this walk-along study was to identify which emotions older adults with low SEP experience when they walk in their neighborhood and the physical and social neighborhood environmental characteristics that influence these emotions. Twenty-four older adults with low SEP were interviewed and content analysis was performed using NVivo 12 software. Participants experienced various positive emotions (e.g., calmness) in green and blue spaces, spaces with historical buildings, and open spaces. They experienced negative emotions (e.g., frustration) in spaces with heavy traffic and crime, paths with uneven surfaces, and areas with a lack of services, infrastructure and maintenance. The presence of public transport, renovations, graffiti, and cultural diversity evoked mixed emotions. Insights from this study could be used to develop specific hypotheses in quantitative studies and by urban planners and policy makers when (re-)designing neighborhoods.

How does mobility and urban environment affect the migrants' settlement intention? A perspective from the intergenerational differences.

With China embracing a new people-centered urbanization stage, the problem of migrants "flowing without moving" has become increasingly prominent, and settlement intention has gradually garnered attention. Our research, based on questionnaire data from the China Labor Force Dynamic Survey 2016, uses a multilevel linear regression model to explore the influence of mobility, social environment, built environment, and demographics characteristics on settlement intention in the migrants and discusses differences between settlement intention of new and old generations and their internal influence mechanism. The findings are as follows: (1) Compared to the old generation, the new migrant generation generally has higher settlement intention. (2) The migrants' settlement intention is influenced mainly by mobility, social environment, built environment, and demographic characteristics. (3) For the new migrant generation, social and demographic characteristics significantly influence their settlement intention. (4) The floating and built environment of the old generation significantly influence their settlement intention. Finally, this paper argues that there are differences in the influence mechanism of the same factors on the settlement intention of the new and old generations of migrants. It proposes differentiated policy suggestions for the migrants to promote city social integration. Finally, this paper argues that there are differences in the influence mechanism of the same factors on the settlement intention of the new and old generations of migrants. It proposes differentiated policy suggestions for the migrants to promote city social integration.

Differences in Social Environmental Characteristics between Intermittent and Daily Smokers in a Multiethnic Asian Population

Objectives: In this study, we assessed potential discrepancies in various social environmental factors between intermittent and daily smokers in Singapore, a multi-ethnic Asian urbanized city-state. Methods: We collected data from the Singapore Smokers Survey 2019 (SSS 2019) (N=2015, ages 19- 69 inclusive), consisting of 434 intermittent (nondaily) smokers and 1581 daily smokers to examine the relationships with social environmental variables including interpersonal communication, media exposure, social participation and social norms. Results: Overall, 22% of the participants self-reported as intermittent smoker. They differed from daily smokers in terms of interpersonal communication, social norms, and social participation. Intermittent smokers were characterized by stronger perceived disapproval of smoking by their family members, lower perceptions of smoking prevalence, and greater involvement in social/community participation. Compared to daily smokers, intermittent smokers were more likely to engage in conversations about quitting but perceived occasional smoking as less harmful.Conclusions: Findings from the study provide useful implications for designing and implementing targeted interventions and tobacco control policies in Singapore and other countries in the region.

청소년 인터넷 도박에 관한 연구 동향

The purpose of this study is to find ways to protect, treat, and prevent the risks of Internet gambling by considering the personal and social environmental characteristics of youth among various social problems in modern society. To achieve the purpose, a total survey was conducted focusing on master's and doctoral theses and academic journals published in Korea from 2018 to March 2023, and a total of 68 papers were analyzed by percentage. As a result, first, the trend by year was the highest with 16 in 2018, and the largest number of academic papers was 12 in 2021, and research is continuing. Second, the most common status by research subject was 43 papers targeting middle and high school students, and 44 research studies by research method type. Third, the trend by research topic was in the order of problem gambling, gambling behavior, gambling addiction, and gambling experience, and the subtype of each research topic was irrational gambling beliefs. Fourth, positive correlations among gambling influencing factors include irrational beliefs, stress, family conflict, and parental neglect, while negative correlations include self-esteem, ego resilience, and family cohesion. A limitation of this study is that it failed to consider various research methods as it was an analysis of existing research on youth internet gambling. In follow-up research, there will be a need to research and develop regulations, preventive measures, and treatment programs related to Internet gambling in a customized manner suitable for various targets.

Mediation of the association between social environmental characteristics of family childcare home and weight status in children by diet quality

BackgroundThe food and beverages served in family childcare homes (FCCHs) may play an important role in the development of childhood overweight and obesity. This analysis examines whether children’s diet quality mediates the relationship between foods and beverages served in FCCHs and preschool-aged children’s weight status.MethodsTrained and certified staff conducted observations for two days in each FCCH, using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) measure to determine the foods and beverages served to children (N = 370) in FCCHs (N = 120). They also used the Dietary Observation in Child Care (DOCC) protocol to assess children’s food and beverage intake during childcare, from which we calculated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI), a measure of diet quality. Height and weight were measured for each child with parent consent from which the child’s body mass index (BMI) z-scores were calculated. A multilevel mediation analysis was conducted to indicate whether children’s diet quality mediates the relations between food and beverage served in FCCHs and preschool-aged children’s weight status.ResultsChildren’s total HEI scores significantly mediated the relationship between the EPAO subscale Food Provided and children’s BMI z-scores (B=-0.01, p < .05, 95% CI = [-0.03, − 0.002]). Further, the EPAO subscale Food Provided was positively associated with the total HEI score (B = 0.75, p < .01, 95% CI = [0.32, 1.18]). Total HEI scores were negatively associated with BMI z-score (B=-0.01, p < .05, 95% CI = [-0.02, − 0.001]).ConclusionChildren’s diet quality did significantly mediate the relationship between the food served in FCCHs and children’s weight status. More longitudinal studies with longer follow-up periods need to be conducted to confirm these relationships. Further, future studies need to examine the relationships between a broader spectrum of FCCH environmental characteristics and home environment with children’s weight status, as well as other mediators including physical activity.

Social Value of Urban Green Space Based on Visitors’ Perceptions: The Case of the Summer Palace, Beijing, China

Urban green spaces play a key role in constructing an ecological civilization in China. In this context, the realization and assessment of the social value of urban green spaces have received increasing attention. Taking the visitors of the Summer Palace in Beijing as the research object, this study used the public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) to collect research data, assess the social value of ecosystem services in the Summer Palace, and determine its spatial distribution. By examining the social value of urban green spaces, this study explored the relationship between the spatial distribution of ecosystem social value and environmental landscape features. The influence of different environmental values on the spatial distribution of the visitors’ perceived social value was also investigated to provide a decision-making basis for the planning and management of urban ecological spaces and the supply and protection of urban ecological products. This study found that cultural, historical, and aesthetic values were preferred by an increasing number of visitors. The hotspots of social value in the Summer Palace of Beijing have three cores and multiple centers. By analyzing the relationship between the three value types with higher preference and the environmental landscape features of the Summer Palace, this study found that the distribution of social values is closely related to the architectural complexes and waters. Anthropocentrists have smaller sample sizes and generally lower social value indices within the sample group, and ecocentrists have higher perceptions of overall social values.

The Social Relationship and Neighborhood Environment Characteristics of Preschoolers in Seoul

The Social Relationship and Neighborhood Environment Characteristics of Preschoolers in Seoul

Emotional well-being of schoolchildren: theoretical foundations and prospects for research

Introduction. Within the framework of current educational reforms, a trend towards raising requirements for intellectual and psycho-emotional abilities of all educational process participants has become evident. With an increasing number of emotionally intense events, the issue of forming and maintaining the emotional well-being of schoolchildren is becoming more urgent. The key feature of the school environment is emotional well-being, which the authors define as a stable and emotionally positive state of a child in the learning environment; and which is based on satisfying one’s age-related needs, awareness of one’s own emotions and possession of the skills of emotional regulation and reflection.Aim. The article aims to formulate and analyse the problem of emotional well-being, to provide an overview of scientific approaches to its operationalisation, and to determine methodological foundations and directions for assessing the emotional well-being of Russian schoolchildren.Methodology and research methods. Research methods include a review of scientific works by contemporary Russian and foreign scholars; systemic, comparative, and logical analysis of modern approaches to the notion of emotional well-being of schoolchildren. The research methodological foundation is rooted in the provisions of positive psychology, the concepts of subjective well-being (N. Bradburn, E. Dinner) and psychological well-being (C. Ryff), self-determination theory (M. Seligman, R. M. Ryan, E. L. Deci), and ecological systems theory (W. Bronfenbrenner).Results and scientific novelty. The paper determines scientific approaches to analyse emotional well-being of a schoolchild, contributes to the concept of operationalisation, and defines the directions for assessing emotional well-being on the basis of two factors: social environment and personal characteristics of a schoolchild.Practical significance. The research results can be used as a foundation for designing the empirical research into characteristics of the emotional well-being of Russian schoolchildren. The present findings might help to develop a programme for improving schoolchildren emotional well-being considered as a key factor to assess schoolchildren emotional well-being in the learning environment in the context of constant social transformations.

Social and built neighborhood environments and sleep health: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Community and Surrounding Areas and Sueño Ancillary Studies.

To test associations between neighborhood social, built, and ambient environment characteristics and multidimensional sleep health in Hispanic/Latino adults. Data were from San Diego-based Hispanic/Latino adults mostly of Mexican heritage enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (N = 342). Home addresses were geocoded to ascertain neighborhood characteristics of greenness, walkability (density of intersections, retail spaces, and residences), socioeconomic deprivation (e.g. lower income, lower education), social disorder (e.g. vacant buildings, crime), traffic density, and air pollution (PM 2.5) in the Study of Latinos Communities and Surrounding Areas Study. Sleep dimensions of regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration were measured by self-report or actigraphy approximately 2 years later. Multivariable regression models accounting for study design (stratification and clustering) were used to examine associations of neighborhood variables with individual sleep dimensions and a multidimensional sleep health composite score. Neighborhood characteristics were not significantly associated with the multidimensional sleep health composite, and there were few significant associations with individual sleep dimensions. Greater levels of air pollution (B = 9.03, 95% CI: 1.16, 16.91) were associated with later sleep midpoint, while greater social disorder (B = -6.90, 95% CI: -13.12, -0.67) was associated with earlier sleep midpoint. Lower walkability was associated with more wake after sleep onset (B = -3.58, 95% CI: -7.07, -0.09). Living in neighborhoods with lower walkability and greater air pollution was associated with worse sleep health, but otherwise findings were largely null. Future research should test these hypotheses in settings with greater variability and investigate mechanisms of these associations.

Physical environment features that predict outdoor active play can be measured using Google Street View images

BackgroundChildrens’ outdoor active play is an important part of their development. Play behaviour can be predicted by a variety of physical and social environmental features. Some of these features are difficult to measure with traditional data sources.MethodsThis study investigated the viability of a machine learning method using Google Street View images for measurement of these environmental features. Models to measure natural features, pedestrian traffic, vehicle traffic, bicycle traffic, traffic signals, and sidewalks were developed in one city and tested in another.ResultsThe models performed well for features that are time invariant, but poorly for features that change over time, especially when tested outside of the context where they were initially trained.ConclusionThis method provides a potential automated data source for the development of prediction models for a variety of physical and social environment features using publicly accessible street view images.

Self-enactable techniques to influence basic psychological needs and regulatory styles within self-determination theory: An expert opinion study

While a large body of research on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has identified characteristics of social environments that are conducive to optimal motivation, research has scarcely considered what individuals might themselves do to optimize motivation. Using the compendium of self-enactable techniques, this expert opinion study aimed to identify conceptual linkages between 123 self-enactable techniques and nine core SDT constructs. International scholars (n = 67) judged a block-randomized subset of 30–40 self-enactable techniques for their likely impacts on SDT constructs. Theoretically plausible linkages between self-enactable techniques and SDT constructs are visualized as a network. Seven techniques (i.e., Brainstorm options, Goal integration, Support others, Find meaning in target behaviour, Associate identity with changed behaviour, Valued self-identity, and Emphasize autonomy) were adjudged as having potential beneficial impacts on five or more SDT constructs. Interventions requiring participant engagement, for example self-management or lifestyle counseling, will benefit from a better understanding of motivation self-management.

Social environment characteristics are related to self-rated health in four Latin America countries: Evidence from the SALURBAL Project.

We investigated the associations of social and built environment and demographic features of urban areas with self-rated health among adults living in four Latin American countries. We estimated multilevel models with harmonized data from 69,840 adults, nested in 262 sub-cities and 112 cities, obtained from the Salud Urbana en América Latina project. Poor self-rated health was inversely associated with services provision score at the sub-city-level and with social environment index at the city-level. We did not identify associations of built environment and demographic features with self-rated health. Approaches and policies to improve health in Latin American should be urban context-sensitive.

Children’s experiences of playground characteristics that contribute to play value and inclusion: Insights from a meta-ethnography

ABSTRACT For children, playing outdoors is a meaningful occupation, and such play is enabled by outdoor playgrounds. As play is a fundamental right for every child, Universal Design is an approach to creating inclusive playgrounds that welcome all children. Yet, research investigating how the physical environment of a playground supports children’s play needs, in terms of play value and inclusion, is largely absent. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how children’s experiences of the environmental characteristics of outdoor playgrounds add to the understanding of play value and inclusion from a child-centred perspective. Using a meta-ethnography approach, a systematic review of qualitative evidence was conducted, which included 17 studies. The study identified two themes. Theme one describes the understanding of play value from the children’s view, which includes their experiencing and mastering of challenges, creating and shaping of the physical environment, social experiences of playing with or alongside other children, and sense of belonging felt from the welcoming playground atmosphere. Theme two describes how the design of the physical environment of a playground in the sense of the variety of spaces and places, and the variability of designed and non-designed elements, influences play value and inclusion. The line of argument synthesis describes the interrelationship between the physical (variety and variability) and the social environment (inclusion) characteristics of the playground through the socio-spatial element of play value. This study identified the interrelated elements contributing to high play value, and consequently place-making, which can contribute to the understanding of inclusive design for playgrounds.

Key Age-Friendly Components of Municipalities that Foster Social Participation of Aging Canadians: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Municipalities can foster the social participation of aging adults. Although making municipalities age-friendly is recognized as a promising way to help aging adults stay involved in their communities, little is known about the key components (e.g., services and structures) that foster social participation. This study thus aimed to identify key age-friendly components (AFC) best associated with the social participation of older Canadians. Secondary analyses were carried out using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (n = 25,411) in selected municipalities (m = 110 with ≥ 30 respondents), the Age-friendly Survey, and census data. Social participation was estimated based on the number of community activities outside the home per month. AFC included housing, transportation, outdoor spaces and buildings, safety, recreation, workforce participation, information, respect, health, and community services. Multilevel models were used to examine the association between individual social participation, key AFC, and environmental characteristics, while controlling for individual characteristics. Aged between 45 and 89, half of the participants were women who were engaged in 20.2±12.5 activities per month. About 2.5% of the variance in social participation was attributable to municipalities. Better outdoor spaces and buildings (p < 0.001), worse communication and information (p < 0.01), and lower material deprivation (p < 0.001) were associated with higher social participation. Age was the only individual-level variable to have a significant random effect, indicating that municipal contexts may mediate its impact with social participation. This study provides insights to help facilitate social participation and promote age-friendliness, by maintaining safe indoor and outdoor mobility, and informing older adults of available activities.

[Passporting of parents of disabled children as an analytical resource of social policy].

The article presents the results of a study of the main social and household characteristics of families with disabled children, conducted in the territory of the Belgorod region (targeted survey; n = 990). The research made it possible to answer questions about children's health problems, their living conditions, the economic status of the family, the work of parents, the social environment and other characteristics of families. The article examines the passporting method of target problem (socially vulnerable) groups as an effective way of obtaining system information, a social picture of the situation, conditions, and problems of such families. The results of the research made it possible to determine the risks associated with the condition of children who require constant help and support, the category of families with unsatisfactory living conditions, the need for advanced training and retraining among parents. An important result of the study was the income map of families with disabled children, which identified the problematic characteristics of the socially vulnerable group and helped determine the directions of primary assistance and support. The scientific result of the article is the conclusion about the need for systematic control of all problematic components of the life of families raising disabled children, about the need for monitoring such information for the organization of targeted assistance and changes in social policy to meet the actual needs of such families.

Mental health and environmental factors in adults: A population-based network analysis.

Few studies have assessed the multifactorial nature of environmental influences on population mental health. In this large-scale, population-based study of adults, we applied network analysis to study the relationship between environmental factors and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and well-being. We estimated networks with overall mental health nodes and individual symptoms to assess both broad and fine-grained associations between environmental factors and mental health. Finally, we conducted an out-of-sample replication in an independent large-scale sample to assess the robustness of our results. Across 31,000 adults randomly sampled from the Norwegian population, we identified associations between numerous environmental characteristics and mental health. Recent discrimination and unsupportive social environments were strongly associated with lower population well-being and higher levels of mental illness symptoms, respectively. The most strongly connected variables in the networks were environmental factors, including perceived problems with crime, violence, or vandalism in the residential area, worrying about violence or threats when outside, and problems with noise or contamination at home. Substantial variation in population mental health was explained by environmental factors included in the networks. Replicability of the results was excellent and suggestive of strong robustness of the results across samples. Our findings are indicative of the importance of environmental factors, such as the social environment, housing satisfaction, and residential area characteristics, for multiple aspects of population mental health. We identify several environmental factors that represent potentially useful targets for future studies and public health efforts seeking to improve mental health in the general population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).