scholarly journals Biological embedding of neighborhood disadvantage and collective efficacy: Influences on chronic illness via accelerated cardiometabolic age

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1797-1815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man-Kit Lei ◽  
Steven R. H. Beach ◽  
Ronald L. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Neighborhood Collective Efficacy ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe present study extends prior research on the link between neighborhood disadvantage and chronic illness by testing an integrated model in which neighborhood characteristics exert effects on health conditions through accelerated cardiometabolic aging. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 408 African Americans from the Family and Community Health Study. Using four waves of data spanning young adulthood (ages 18–29), we first found durable effects of neighborhood disadvantage on accelerated cardiometabolic aging and chronic illness. Then, we used marginal structural modeling to adjust for potential neighborhood selection effects. As expected, accelerated cardiometabolic aging was the biopsychosocial mechanism that mediated much of the association between neighborhood disadvantage and chronic illness. This finding provides additional support for the view that neighborhood disadvantage can influence morbidity and mortality by creating social contexts that becomes biologically embedded. Perceived neighborhood collective efficacy served to buffer the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and biological aging, identifying neighborhood-level resilience factor. Overall, our results indicate that neighborhood context serves as a fundamental cause of weathering and accelerated biological aging. Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood increases biological wear and tear that ultimately leads to onset of chronic illness, but access to perceived collective efficacy buffers the impact of these neighborhood effects. From an intervention standpoint, identifying such an integrated model may help inform future health-promoting interventions.

scholarly journals Neighborhood Disadvantage and Biological Aging: Using Marginal Structural Models to Assess the Link Between Neighborhood Census Variables and Epigenetic Aging

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. e50-e59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man-Kit Lei ◽  
Ronald L Simons ◽  
Steven R H Beach ◽  
Robert A Philibert
Keyword(s):  
African American Women ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Selection Effects ◽  
Standard Deviation Increase ◽  
Neighborhood Selection

Abstract Objectives Past research has reported an association between neighborhood disadvantage and healthy aging, but most of these studies utilize self-report measures of health or physical functioning and do not properly account for neighborhood selection effects, creating concerns regarding inflated associations. To overcome these limitations and provide a more stringent estimate of effects, the current study investigated the effect of neighborhood disadvantage on aging using newly developed epigenetic methods to assess rate of biological aging and marginal structural modeling (MSM) to account for potential confounds due to neighborhood selection. Methods We tested the hypothesis that neighborhood disadvantage accelerates aging using U.S. census data and five waves of interview data from a sample of 100 middle-aged African American women. Using a recently developed epigenetic index of aging, biological age was measured using weighted methylation values at 71 CpG sites. We calculated a measure of accelerated methylomic aging (in years) based upon the residual scores resulting from a regression of methylomic age on chronological age. Results Controlling for a variety of individual difference factors that could be confounded with neighborhood effects, including various health behaviors, neighborhood disadvantage was associated with accelerated biological aging. Using MSM to account for selection effects, a standard deviation increase in neighborhood disadvantage accelerated aging an average of 9 months. Conclusions Our findings converge with prior work to provide strong evidence that neighborhood context is a significant determinant of healthy aging.

Neighborhood Context and Homicide Clearance: Estimating the Effects of Collective Efficacy

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Mancik ◽  
Karen F. Parker ◽  
Kirk R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Characteristics ◽  
Chicago Police Department ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Homicide Clearance ◽  
Chicago Police ◽  
The Impact

Only a handful of macro-level studies of homicide clearance exist, and the impact of community characteristics is mixed. In addition, community members are critical to clearances, but the willingness of residents to unite for the collective goal of aiding in investigations (via collective efficacy) remains to be tested. Combining data from the Chicago Police Department, Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), and U.S. Census, we estimate the effect of collective efficacy on homicide clearances in Chicago neighborhoods, while taking into account neighborhood characteristics and case composition. Results indicate that economic disadvantage, residential stability, and victimization significantly decrease homicides clearances, while collective efficacy increases clearances.

Eclipsing Community? Neighborhood Disadvantage, Social Mechanisms, and Neighborly Attitudes and Behaviors

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 615-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Social Mechanisms ◽  
Neighborhood Satisfaction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Systemic Model ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
The Impact

This study investigates how objective neighborhood characteristics influence attitudinal and behavioral dimensions of community social organization. Grounded in ecological and neighborhood effects traditions, I extend prior inquiries by adjudicating the social mechanisms that link neighborhood disadvantage with residents’ satisfaction and neighboring. Results from longitudinal data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey indicate that the neighborhood disadvantage perspective garners support when considering neighborhood satisfaction, while the systemic model marshals support for informal neighboring. Consistent with the local danger model, experiencing fearful feelings toward the neighborhood is detrimental to both satisfaction and neighboring. In addition, a cumulative disadvantage effect exists whereby individuals who live in highly disadvantaged areas and perceive the neighborhood as dangerous exhibit the highest levels of dissatisfaction. Having friendship ties living nearby buffers the impact of fear on neighborhood satisfaction, while being socially isolated exacerbates feelings of local danger. These findings suggest that community investment initiatives could mitigate the factors contributing to disadvantaged neighborhoods and foster local satisfaction and engagement as a result.

Neighborhood Effects on Immigrants’ Experiences of Work-Family Conflict and Psychological Distress

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Young ◽  
Shirin Montazer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Impact

The neighborhood context is considered a key institution of inequality influencing individuals’ exposure and psychological vulnerability to stressors in the work-family interface, including work-family conflict (WFC). However, experiences of neighborhood context, WFC, and its mental health consequences among minority populations—including foreign-born residents—remain unexplored. We address this limitation and draw on tenants of the stress process model to unpack our hypotheses. We further test whether our focal associations vary for mothers and fathers. Using multilevel data from Toronto, Canada (N = 794), we find that neighborhood disadvantage—measured at the census level—increases reports of WFC among all respondents except foreign-born fathers, who report a decrease in WFC as disadvantage increases. Despite this benefit, the WFC of foreign-born fathers in disadvantaged neighborhoods leads to greater distress compared to other respondents. Our findings highlight important gender differences by nativity status in the impact of neighborhood context on individual-level stressors and mental health.

Neighborhood Structure and Fear of Crime in Urban China: Disorder As a Neighborhood Process

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 57-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
The Impact

SummaryFear of crime has always been a major topic in the popular media and for public policy. Consequences of fear of crime are salient for citizens' and the community's quality of life. Since the late 1970s, there has been a much scholarly attention paid to the role of disorder in producing fear of crime and further producing adverse community consequences. Particularly influential works were Wilson and Kelling's paper (1982) and Skogan's work (1990); these works greatly influenced public policy in the late 1980s and early 1990s (Greene and Taylor 1988; Ferraro 1994). The salient feature of this research is its emphasis on the role of community context, analyzing how disorder generates fear of crime and leads to community decline at the street block and neighborhood level. The impact of fear of crime extends beyond the victims of the crimes, and indicates the salience of the social aspect of fear of crime. Therefore, neighborhood effects are highly relevant to the understanding of fear of crime. Scholars have recognized that individuals' fear is better understood within a neighborhood or community context. The purpose of the present study is to build upon prior work to address critical questions of neighborhood effects on fear of crime under context of contemporary urban China. Using multilevel analyses of data from Tianjing, China, this paper found that neighborhood context variables have effect on fear of crime independent of individual characteristics.

scholarly journals Obesity and accelerated epigenetic aging in a high-risk cohort of children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Etzel ◽  
Waylon J. Hastings ◽  
Molly A. Hall ◽  
Christine Heim ◽  
Michael J. Meaney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
Cellular Aging ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Blood Leukocytes ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Epigenetic Aging ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Risk Cohort

Background: New insights into mechanisms linking obesity to poor health outcomes suggest a role for cellular aging pathways, casting obesity as a disease of accelerated biological aging. Although obesity has been linked to accelerated epigenetic aging in middle-aged adults, the impact during childhood remains unclear. We tested the association between body mass index (BMI) and accelerated epigenetic aging in a cohort of high-risk children. Participants were children (N=273, aged 8 to 14 years, 82% investigated for maltreatment) recruited to the Child Health Study, an ongoing prospective study of youth investigated for maltreatment and a comparison youth. BMI was measured as a continuous variable. Accelerated epigenetic aging of blood leukocytes was defined as the age-adjusted residuals of several established epigenetic aging clocks (Horvath, Hannum, GrimAge, PhenoAge) along with a newer algorithm, the DunedinPoAm, developed to quantify the pace-of-aging. Hypotheses were tested with generalized linear models. Results: Higher BMI was significantly correlated with older chronological age, maltreatment status, household income, blood cell counts, and three of the accelerated epigenetic aging measures: GrimAge (r=0.29, P<.0001), PhenoAge (r=0.25, P<.0001), and DunedinPoAm (r=0.37, P<.0001). In fully adjusted models, GrimAge (b=.06; P=.007) and DunedinPoAm (b=.0017; P<.0001) remained significantly associated with higher BMI. Maltreatment-status was not independently associated with accelerated epigenetic aging after accounting for other factors. Conclusion: In a high-risk cohort of children, higher BMI predicted epigenetic aging as assessed by two epigenetic aging clocks. These results suggest the association between obesity and accelerated epigenetic aging begins in early life, with implications for future morbidity and mortality risk.

A Multilevel Analysis of Collective Efficacy, Neighborhood Disorder, and Individual Social Capital on Avoidance Behavior

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 994-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim Hardyns ◽  
Thom Snaphaan ◽  
Lieven J. R. Pauwels ◽  
Veerle Vyncke ◽  
Sara Willems
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Neighborhood Disorder ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Individual Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

The principal aim of this multilevel study was to assess the impact of collective efficacy and disorder, as neighborhood characteristics, and individual social capital on an individual’s avoidance behavior, independent of the neighborhood composition. The theoretical backdrop to the present study integrates insights from social capital theory, collective efficacy theory, and broken windows theory. The multilevel model is based on an individual-level questionnaire of inhabitants ( N = 2,730) and a neighborhood-level questionnaire of key informants in neighborhoods in Ghent, Belgium ( N = 142). The results suggest small but significant neighborhood effects on an individual’s avoidance behavior. Individuals with lower levels of individual social capital and who live in neighborhoods with higher levels of disorder report more avoidance behavior.

Spatial Dimensions of Social Capital

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk A. Foster ◽  
Ronald Pitner ◽  
Darcy A. Freedman ◽  
Bethany A. Bell ◽  
Todd C. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Bonding Social Capital ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
High Poverty Neighborhood ◽  
Neighborhood Boundaries

The neighborhood context affects social capital, yet scholars do not adequately account for the dynamic nature of the social spaces people occupy in measuring social capital. Research has focused on neighborhood effects as though the neighborhood space is fixed across all inhabitants without regard for the ways individuals define their neighborhoods considering their own spatial location and social interactions. Using a neighborhood–level social capital measure, we examine the relationship between cognitive neighborhood boundaries and social capital in residents (N = 135) of two public housing communities in a Southern urban city. As collective efficacy (bonding social capital) increased so too did the predicted size of one's cognitive neighborhood. GIS maps demonstrated that participant boundaries included areas of commerce and services necessary to build and maintain social capital. Larger cognitive neighborhoods suggest one may interact with a wider array of people to achieve instrumental and expressive returns despite the high–poverty neighborhood context.

Lifestyle-Routine Activities, Neighborhood Context, and Ethnic Hate Crime Victimization

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 932-948
Author(s):  
Susan McNeeley ◽  
Suzanne Overstreet
Keyword(s):  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Social Disorganization ◽  
Hate Crime ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Routine Activities ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
Social Disorganization Theory ◽  
Crime Victimization ◽  
Neighborhood Collective Efficacy

There is little empirical work examining how individuals’ characteristics and lifestyles may influence hate crime victimization. In addition, while recent research suggests that social disorganization theory is useful for understanding hate crime, more studies are needed to understand how community characteristics influence hate crime victimization. This study conducts multilevel models using survey data from approximately 3,700 individuals nested within 123 neighborhoods in order to examine whether lifestyles and neighborhood context contribute to ethnic hate crime victimization. The results identify several measures of lifestyle that are associated with hate crime victimization. In addition, neighborhood collective efficacy was related to lower risk for hate crime victimization. The results provide support for lifestyle-routine activities theory and social disorganization theory and contribute to our understanding of hate crime victimization.

The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the College Aspirations of African American Adolescents

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 896-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Endya B. Stewart ◽  
Eric A. Stewart ◽  
Ronald L. Simons
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Educational Aspirations ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Neighborhood Disadvantage ◽  
Neighborhood Context ◽  
College Aspirations ◽  
Structural Disadvantage ◽  
Micro Level

Previous research on educational aspirations has focused almost exclusively on micro-level predictors of educational aspirations. Notably absent from these studies are measures reflecting the neighborhood context in which adolescents live. Drawing on Wilson’s theory of neighborhood effects, the present study examines the extent to which neighborhood structural disadvantage predicts college aspirations among African American adolescents. The results show that concentrated neighborhood disadvantage exerts a significant influence on college aspirations, even when accounting for the micro-level context of adolescents. Overall, the findings suggest that living in a disadvantaged context lowers college aspirations among African American adolescents.

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