Social Isolation, Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Neighborhood Environment of Older Adults During COVID-19

Social isolation has been recognized as a social problem with negative effects on psychological well-being. Older adults are disproportionately affected by social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 Project, this study examined the relationship between social isolation and depressive symptoms among two groups of respondents differentiated by whether themselves or their social relationships were diagnosed with COVID-19. This study also explored the moderating role of perceived neighborhood environment. Depressive symptoms were measured using the eight-item CES-D. The index of social isolation was generated using five indicators, including living alone, no social participation, and less than monthly contact with children, family members, and friends. The moderator assessed two aspects of the neighborhood environment, including physical disorder and social cohesion. The results of bivariate analyses showed that respondents who were affected by COVID-19 were younger, more likely to be female, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Black, and with lower levels of social isolation. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social isolation was associated with more depressive symptoms, but this relationship was found to be only significant among respondents who were affected by COVID-19. Perceived neighborhood environment significantly moderated the relationship, as the effect of social isolation on depressive symptoms was stronger for respondents with more neighborhood physical disorders and less social cohesion. This study has implications for practice and policy, in that it underscored the importance of enacting strategies to improve the neighborhood environment, particularly for socially isolated older adults during the COVID-19.

Research on the Association Between Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Shanghai, China: Do Social Capital And Gender Matter?

This study examined the mediator role of social capital on the association between perceived neighborhood environment and life satisfaction among older adults in urban China, and further tested the moderating effect of gender in the above paths (i.e., from neighborhood environment to life satisfaction; from neighborhood environment to social capital; from social capital to life satisfaction). We used quota sampling approach to recruit 472 respondents aged 60 years old or older in Shanghai in 2020. From the perspective of structural equation modeling, multiple group analysis was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The measurement model of social capital was well established in urban Chinese community contexts. Based on the whole sample, the results of the mediation model showed that social capital played a mediation role in the association between neighborhood environment and life satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of multiple group analysis showed that the association between neighborhood environment and cognitive social capital was only significant among older women. The findings highlight the role of neighborhood environment and social capital in building age-friendly communities.

Social capital, perceived neighborhood environment, and depressive symptoms among older adults in rural China: the role of self-rated health

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study examined the relationships between social capital, perceived neighborhood environment, and depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural China, and the moderating effect of self-rated health (SRH) in these relationships. Participants: A quota sampling method was applied to recruit 447 participants aged 60 years and older in rural communities in Jilin province, China in 2019. Measurements: Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to build latent constructs of social capital and test the proposed model. Multiple group analysis was used to test the moderation effects. Results: Cognitive social capital and structural social capital were both associated with depressive symptoms controlling for participants’ demographics, socioeconomic status, and health status. After adding perceived environment variables in the model, the relationship between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms became nonsignificant, while structural social capital remained became a significant factor (β = −.168, p < .01). Satisfaction with health care was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among those with poor SRH (β = −.272, p < .01), whereas satisfaction with security and transportation were strongly associated with depressive symptoms among those with good SRH (security: β = −.148, p < .01; transportation: β = −.174, p < .01). Conclusions: Study findings highlighted the importance of social capital and neighborhood environment as potential protective factors of depressive symptoms in later life. Policy and intervention implications were also discussed.

Moderators of Parents’ Perceptions of the Neighborhood Environment and Children’s Physical Activity, Time Outside, and Screen Time

Background: Increased physical inactivity and sedentary behavior among children are a global health concern. Purpose: Examine associations between parents’ perceived neighborhood environment and children’s physical activity, outside time, and screen time, and whether these associations were moderated by age and socioeconomic position (SEP). Methods: Parents (N = 1212) completed a survey during the Recording and EValuating Activity in a Modified Park study. The neighborhood perceptions (social and physical environment), children’s age, physical activity, outside time, and screen time were parent-reported. The SEP was derived from the Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed with age and SEP interactions. Results: Favorable perceptions of opportunities to be active and exercise were associated with a higher likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines. Favorable perceptions of neighborhood ease for walking and a larger social network were also associated with more outdoor time. Moderation analyses revealed that favorable perceptions of several physical and social neighborhood environment features were associated with a higher likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines in the high-SEP group and were negatively associated with preschoolers’ weekday screen time. Conclusion: Future neighborhood environment initiatives and interventions aiming to promote active living communities should consider differences in age and SEP.