Associations of neighborhood problems and neighborhood social cohesion with mental health and health behaviors: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Few studies have investigated the specific features implicated in neighborhood–health associations. We examined associations between measures of neighborhood problems and neighborhood social cohesion with depression, smoking, drinking, and walking for exercise in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atheroscle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth & place Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 853 - 865
Main Authors Echeverría, Sandra, Diez-Roux, Ana V., Shea, Steven, Borrell, Luisa N., Jackson, Sharon
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2008
Subjects
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alcohol
Atherosclerosis - ethnology
Cohort Studies
Depression
Female
Health Behavior - ethnology
Health behaviors
Health behaviour
Health technology assessment
Humans
Male
Measurement
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Neighborhood characteristics
Neighbourhoods
Physical activity
Prospective Studies
Residence Characteristics
Smoking
Social cohesion
Social Environment
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
United States
Measurement
Neighborhood characteristics
Health behaviors
Mental health
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Summary:Few studies have investigated the specific features implicated in neighborhood–health associations. We examined associations between measures of neighborhood problems and neighborhood social cohesion with depression, smoking, drinking, and walking for exercise in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort. Neighborhoods were characterized according to participant self-report and aggregated measures based on other MESA participants. Individuals living in the least problematic neighborhoods were significantly less likely to be depressed, to smoke, or to drink. Less socially cohesive neighborhoods were associated with increased depression, smoking, and not walking for exercise. Results persisted after adjusting for individual-level variables. Each measure appeared to capture distinct features of the neighborhood and associations did not differ by race/ethnicity. Results for neighborhood problems were robust to the use of aggregate measures but results for social cohesion generally were not. Future work should determine the health effect of modifying specific features of the neighborhood context.
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ISSN:1353-8292
1873-2054
DOI:10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.01.004