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Lynch KR, Pinchevsky GM, Tillyer MS, Augustyn MB. "I Don't Think a Broken Spirit Can Be Quantified": Perceptions of College Victimization and Its Consequences Among Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024:8862605241265666. [PMID: 39066583 DOI: 10.1177/08862605241265666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated students' perceptions of victimization among college students (e.g., extent, location, consequences) through eight focus groups at a large, urban Hispanic-serving institution. Understanding students' perceptions of crime sheds light on the consequences of victimization as well as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impacts of the possibility of experiencing victimization. Our results yielded several key findings that warrant further discussion: (1) victimization-particularly sexual and property victimization-is an issue that many students thought about extensively and viewed as important; (2) the psychological impact of victimization and threatened sense of safety were perceived to be enduring consequences of victimization that can impact the college experience; (3) there was nuance to perceptions of "on-" versus "off-" campus victimization, with consequences carrying over to campus life even when incidents occur off campus; and (4) participants expressed both moral and conceptual issues with assigning a dollar amount to consequences of victimization. These results inform how perceptions of victimization risk and anticipated consequences shape student fears and behavior, while also highlighting key areas that universities may consider for prevention and intervention efforts.
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Zahnow R, Smith N. Locality-based social media: The impact of content consumption and creation on perceived neighborhood crime, safety, and offline crime prevention. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39056475 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Locality-based social media (LBSM) allow members of the community to exchange news, connect with local people, and raise awareness of problems such as crime. This study aims to better understand the influence of LBSM on perceptions of community crime, safety, and crime prevention. Drawing on survey data from 1000 Australians, we assess the extent to which frequency of exposure to crime on LBSM and intensity of engagement on LBSM influence perceptions of crime, safety, and offline crime prevention behaviors. LBSM content creators perceive less crime and feel safer compared to individuals who only consume content on LBSM. Creators of content are also more likely than consumers to engage in offline crime prevention action. Our findings highlight the need to encourage more balanced engagement across all members of community social media. Smaller groups that contain only local residents may be best suited to achieve this outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Zahnow
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Naomi Smith
- School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
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Ferretti F, Gualtieri G, Masti A, Uvelli A. Urban safety and psychological distress during the pandemic: the results of a longitudinal study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1343585. [PMID: 38770262 PMCID: PMC11104501 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1343585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the last decades, a large body of literature has explored the topic of perceived safety and fear of crime in urban environments. The effects of psychological factors on such feelings have been studied, but rarely using prospective studies, and never when these factors intercept a worldwide dramatic event like the pandemic. This research aimed to analyze the variations of the feelings of urban safety during the pandemic, the role of resiliency and the effect of psychological stressors such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Methods During 2019 and 2022, before and after the pandemic, a face-to-face interview was administered to the same group of 195 participants. The PUSAS scale was used to measure unsafety, the ER89-R to assess for resiliency, the DASS-21 to collect data about the general distress (anxiety, stress and depression), and the CAS scale was used to evaluate the specific coronavirus anxiety. Structural equation models were applied to test a theoretical framework grounded on the relationships between these measures. Results The research findings showed decreased feelings of unsafety across the pandemic, consistent with the literature. The positive effect of ego-resiliency was significant but only for its interaction with data collected before the pandemic, whilst stress and anxiety impacted unsafety in 2022 through different pathways. None of the symptoms of general distress influenced the concern about crime and sense of vulnerability, as the feelings of unsafety were found independent from the variations of the specific coronavirus anxiety. Discussion Although the research findings did not confirm the impact of coronavirus, they presented some facets that disconfirm what the literature reported about the relationships between psychological distress and fear of crime. Implications about measurement issues are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Ferretti
- Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Cavuoto MG, Davies L, Rowsthorn E, Cribb LG, Yiallourou SR, Yassi N, Maruff P, Lim YY, Pase MP. Cross-sectional associations between neighborhood characteristics, cognition and dementia risk factor burden in middle-aged and older Australians. Prev Med Rep 2024; 41:102696. [PMID: 38586469 PMCID: PMC10997895 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Dementia disproportionately affects individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those living in areas of lower neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. It is important to understand whether there are specific neighborhood characteristics associated with dementia risk factors and cognition which may inform dementia risk reduction interventions. We sought to examine whether greenspace, walkability, and crime associated with the cumulative burden of modifiable dementia risk factors and cognition. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 2016-2020 data from the Healthy Brain Project, a population-based cohort of community-dwelling individuals across Australia. Participants were aged 40-70 and free of dementia. Measures included greenspace (greenspace % in the local area, and distance to greenspace, n = 2,181); and intersection density (n = 1,159), and crime (rate of recorded offences; n = 1,159). Outcomes included a modified Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) dementia risk score to index the burden of modifiable vascular dementia risk factors; and composite scores of both memory and attention, derived from the Cogstate Brief Battery. Linear regressions adjusted for age, sex, education, and personal socio-economic status, demonstrated distance to greenspace (b ± SE per 2-fold increase = 0.09 ± 0.03, p =.005) and crime rate (b ± SE per 2-fold increase = 0.07 ± 0.03, p =.018) were associated with higher modified CAIDE. Higher crime was associated with lower memory performance (b ± SE = -0.03 ± 0.01, p =.018). The association between distance to greenspace and modified CAIDE was only present in low-moderate socioeconomic status neighborhoods (p interaction = 0.004). Dementia prevention programs that address modifiable risk factors in midlife should consider the possible role of neighborhood characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G. Cavuoto
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- National Ageing Research Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC, Australia
| | - Liam Davies
- Centre for Urban Research, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, City Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ella Rowsthorn
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lachlan G. Cribb
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephanie R. Yiallourou
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nawaf Yassi
- Department of Medicine and Neurology, Melbourne Brain Centre at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul Maruff
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Cogstate Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yen Ying Lim
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew P. Pase
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Borja S, Storer H, De La Cruz PI, Mark Eddy J. Patterns of Avoidance Behavior in Response to Fear of Victimization in the Mexican Context: A Latent Class Analysis. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024; 39:2290-2317. [PMID: 38158738 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231220349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Fear of victimization (FOV) is a powerful determinant of behavior and prompts behavioral responses such as avoidance, associated with a decline in health-promoting activities and quality of life. Avoidance behaviors, which include constraining activities to perceived safe areas and avoiding areas regarded as unsafe, are of particular interest due to their high prevalence as a coping response to FOV and their link to adverse physical and mental health. Most research on FOV-related avoidance treats it as a single construct and have yet to elucidate the potential heterogeneity within this set of behaviors. We argue that such approach could mask potential heterogeneity among people who respond to FOV through avoidance and how they adapt to manage perceived risk. Our analysis extends the foundational knowledge regarding FOV-related avoidance using a person-centered approach. We attempted to capture distinct profiles across avoidance behaviors and how they are shaped by physical and social vulnerabilities. Data from the 2021 Mexico's National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Security Survey (n = 83,696) was analyzed using Latent Class Analysis focusing on 15 avoidance behaviors (e.g., stopped using public transportation). We conducted multinomial logistic regression to test whether age, gender, education, and neighborhood deprivation significantly predicted class membership. Findings revealed three classes: avoidant (most behavioral adjustments across the board), cautious (only adapted some behaviors), and protective (least behavioral adjustments, but more concerned about minors in their households). The results supported the hypothesized associations between age, gender, education, and neighborhood deprivation with group membership, but the significance differed by group. This research underscores the role of environmental context in shaping individual perceptions of safety and avoidance behavior. Finally, contrary to the approach of treating avoidance behavior as a single category, these findings present a more complex picture as distinct and meaningful patterns emerged across the three groups.
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Walter RJ, Acolin A, Tillyer MS. Association between property investments and crime on commercial and residential streets: Implications for maximizing public safety benefits. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101537. [PMID: 38162225 PMCID: PMC10757037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Physical property investments enhance public safety in communities while alleviating the need for criminal justice system responses. Policy makers and local government officials must allocate scare resources for community and economic development activities. Understanding where physical property investments have the greatest crime reducing benefits can inform decision making to maximize economic, safety, and health outcomes. This study uses Spatial Durbin models with street segment and census tract by year fixed effects to examine the impact of physical property investments on changes in property and violent crime over an 11-year period (2008-2018) in six large U.S. cities. The units of analysis are commercial and residential street segments. Street segments are classified into low, medium, and high crime terciles defined by initial crime levels (2008-2010). Difference of coefficients tests identify significant differences in building permit effects across crime terciles. The findings reveal there is a significant negative relationship between physical property investments and changes in property and violent crime on commercial and residential street segments in all cities. Investments have the greatest public safety benefit where initial crime levels are the highest. The decrease in violent crime is larger on commercial street segments, while the decrease in property crime is larger on residential street segments. Targeting the highest crime street segments (i.e., 90th percentile) for property improvements will maximize public safety benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Walter
- Runstad Department of Real Estate, College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Harborview Injury and Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Arthur Acolin
- Runstad Department of Real Estate, College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Marie Skubak Tillyer
- Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA
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Jamalishahni T, Davern M, Villanueva K, Turrell G, Foster S. The contribution of objective and perceived crime to neighbourhood socio-inequity in loneliness. Health Place 2024; 85:103165. [PMID: 38183728 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Loneliness tends to be more prevalent in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, yet few studies explore the environmental differences contributing to area-based inequity in loneliness. This study examined how perceived and objective crime contributed to differences in loneliness between advantaged and disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The study used cross-sectional data from 3749 individuals aged between 48 and 77 years, residing in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. We found that participants in disadvantaged neighbourhoods reported higher levels of loneliness and perceived crime, and the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods also had highest prevalence of objective crime. However, while perceived and objective crime were positively correlated with loneliness, only perceived crime accounted for socio-economic inequity in loneliness. Consequently, perceived crime plays an important role in addressing loneliness in disadvantaged communities and requires equitable resourcing for multiple strategies that aim to decrease crime and increase perceived safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Jamalishahni
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia.
| | - Melanie Davern
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia; Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Global and Population Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Karen Villanueva
- Policy and Equity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Gavin Turrell
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Sarah Foster
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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Xia C, Xu J, Wang Y. Getting Good Sleep with Family Support: The Role of Fear of Crime and Loneliness. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:909. [PMID: 37998656 PMCID: PMC10669028 DOI: 10.3390/bs13110909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep problems in middle-aged and older people can threaten their physical and mental health. Family support is regarded as a key factor that affects sleep quality, but the influence mechanism remains underexplored. This study analyzes the mediating effects of fear of crime (FOC) and loneliness in the relationship between family support and sleep quality, and explores whether gender plays a moderating role between family support and FOC. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1043 Chinese middle-aged and older people aged 45-93 years. Using 10,000 bootstrapped samples, the study shows that middle-aged and older people who receive more family support have better sleep quality, and FOC and loneliness play mediating role in this association. Gender moderates the relationship between family support and FOC. Compared with men, family support for females has a greater impact on their FOC condition, and the mediating effect of family support on sleep quality through FOC is also greater among women. Family support can affect sleep quality through the chain mediating effect of FOC and loneliness for women. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the relationship between family support and sleep quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Xia
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, Jiuhua-Nan-Road 189, Wuhu 241000, China;
| | - Jia Xu
- School of Marxism, Anhui Normal University, Jiuhua-Nan-Road 189, Wuhu 241000, China;
| | - Yaya Wang
- School of Finance, Taxation and Public Administration, Tongling University, Cuihu-Si-Road 1335, Tongling 244061, China
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Buse K, Bestman A, Srivastava S, Marten R, Yangchen S, Nambiar D. What Are Healthy Societies? A Thematic Analysis of Relevant Conceptual Frameworks. Int J Health Policy Manag 2023; 12:7450. [PMID: 38618792 PMCID: PMC10699824 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While support for the idea of fostering healthy societies is longstanding, there is a gap in the literature on what they are, how to beget them, and how experience might inform future efforts. This paper explores developments since Alma Ata (1978) to understand how a range of related concepts and fields inform approaches to healthy societies and to develop a model to help conceptualize future research and policy initiatives. METHODS Drawing on 68 purposively selected documents, including political declarations, commission and agency reports, peer-reviewed papers and guidance notes, we undertook qualitative thematic analysis. Three independent researchers compiled and categorised themes describing the domains of a potential healthy societies approach. RESULTS The literature provides numerous frameworks. Some of these frameworks promote alternative endpoints to development, eschewing short-term economic growth in favour of health, equity, well-being and sustainability. They also identify values, such as gender equality, collaboration, human rights and empowerment that provide the pathways to, or underpin, such endpoints. We categorize the literature into four "components": people; places; products; and planet. People refers to social positions, interactions and networks creating well-being. Places are physical environments-built and natural-and the interests and policies shaping them. Products are commodities and commercial practices impacting population health. Planet places human health in the context of the 'Anthropocene.' These components interact in complex ways across global, regional, country and community levels as outlined in our heuristic. CONCLUSION The literature offers little critical reflection on why greater progress has not been made, or on the need to organise and resist the prevailing systems which perpetuate ill-health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kent Buse
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Amy Bestman
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Robert Marten
- The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sonam Yangchen
- The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Devaki Nambiar
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India
- Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
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Winter SC, Johnson L, Dzombo MN. Sanitation-related violence against women in informal settlements in Kenya: a quantitative analysis. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1191101. [PMID: 37841717 PMCID: PMC10574432 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1191101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Approximately 3.6 billion people around the world do not have access to safe sanitation options. Those lacking access are not only at risk of diarrheal disease, other tropical diseases, and parasitic infections, they are at greater risk of experiencing violence, particularly women and girls. The burden of lack of access to safe sanitation is disproportionately experienced by women in informal settlements in lower- and middle-income countries, where violence rates tend to be higher and access to sanitation lower. Women lacking access to safe toilets often have to walk long distances to access a facility or open site or use shared toilet facilities, which increase their vulnerability to violence. Methods We explore the prevalence and multilevel factors associated with women's experiences, observations, and exposure to stories about past-year sanitation-related violence in a probability sample of 550 women in a large informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya using chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regressions. Results Findings suggest that social/community engagement and social/cultural beliefs are important considerations for hearing about and observing sanitation-related violence, but less so experiences of sanitation-related violence. Alternatively, individual-level and technological factors may be critical factors in actual experiences of violence. Discussion Sanitation-related violence and creating an environment of safety in which women can take care of their sanitation-related needs in ways that also protect them, their families, and their communities is critical for meeting sanitation-related development agendas and goals such as Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Johnson
- School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Constable Fernandez C, Patalay P, Vaughan L, Church D, Hamer M, Maddock J. Subjective and objective indicators of neighbourhood safety and physical activity among UK adolescents. Health Place 2023; 83:103050. [PMID: 37348294 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health benefits of regular physical activity in adolescence are well-documented and many health-related behaviours are established in adolescence. The neighbourhood environment is a key setting for physical activity for adolescents and feeling unsafe in their neighbourhood may be a potential barrier to physical activity. AIM This study aimed to examine associations between neighbourhood safety and physical activity using objective and subjective measures for both. METHODS Participants (n = 10,913) came from the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative UK longitudinal birth cohort. Linear regression and Zero Inflated Poisson models were used to examine associations between subjective and objective indicators of safety (self-reported safety, Index of Multiple Deprivation crime, Reported Crime Incidence) and physical activity (self-reported weekly and device-measured physical activity). RESULTS Adolescents who feel unsafe in their neighbourhood, or who live in areas with high IMD crime or violent crime rates report 0.29 (95% CI -0.49, -0.09) 0.32 (95% CI -0.47, -0.16) and 0.20 (95% CI -0.39, -0.20) fewer days of physical activity, respectively. No associations were found between Reported Crime Incidence and either objective or subjective measures of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates varying associations between subjective safety and objective crime with physical activity levels in adolescence, highlighting the complexities around subjective and objective measurements and their associations with health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, UCL, London, UK; Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Social Research Institute, UCL, London, UK
| | - Laura Vaughan
- The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London, UK
| | - David Church
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Social Research Institute, UCL, London, UK
| | - Mark Hamer
- Institute of Sport Exercise & Health, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, UCL, London, UK
| | - Jane Maddock
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, UCL, London, UK
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Mayagoitia-Novales L, Cerda-Molina AL, Mendoza-Mojica SA, Borráz-León JI, Hernández-Melesio MA, Saldívar-Hernández GJ. Psychopathology, cortisol and testosterone responses to traumatic images: differences between urban and suburban citizens in a middle-income country. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1187248. [PMID: 37484079 PMCID: PMC10360937 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1187248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Living in urban places has been associated with a higher risk of psychopathology as well as with altered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and consequently altered cortisol response, but studies have concentrated mainly in high-income countries population. The role of other hormones such as testosterone, implicated in stress response and with human social behaviors, have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to compare symptoms of psychopathology as well as cortisol and testosterone in response to traumatic images between urban and suburban people in a middle-income country. Methods A sample of 67 women and 55 men (N = 122, 18-45 years) from urban and suburban places of Mexico participated in the study. We quantified salivary cortisol and testosterone in response to images with traumatic and violent content (basal, 15, 30, and 45 min after images). Participants answered a general information questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-R to assess their psychopathological traits. We performed Generalized Estimating Equation Models to analyze hormonal levels and MANOVAs to compare differences in participants' psychopathology symptoms. Area under the curve respect to ground (AUCG) of hormonal levels and sex differences were also compared. Results Suburban citizens showed no cortisol response, whereas urban people showed a cortisol peak 15 min after the image's exposure; however, suburban people had higher AUCG and basal levels compared to urban ones. Contrastingly, testosterone levels declined in all participants excepting the urban women, who showed no testosterone response. Although similar testosterone profile, AUCG levels were higher in urban than suburban men. Participants living in suburban areas had higher scores of somatizations, obsessive-compulsive, and interpersonal sensitivity, as well as more sleep disorders than participants living in urban areas. Conclusion This study offers novel evidence about differences in cortisol and testosterone responses to a social stressor and in mental health indicators between a population of urban and suburban citizens, highlighting the impact of urbanization process on physiological and psychological outcomes in a middle-income country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Mayagoitia-Novales
- Departamento de Etología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Ana Lilia Cerda-Molina
- Departamento de Etología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Javier I. Borráz-León
- Departamento de Etología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - M. Alejandra Hernández-Melesio
- Departamento de Etología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
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López-Contreras N, Puig-Barrachina V, Vives A, Olave-Müller P, Gotsens M. Social inequalities in self-perceived health in Chile, does the urban environment matter?: a cross-sectional study. Arch Public Health 2023; 81:128. [PMID: 37420299 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01136-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health of a population is determined by urban factors such as the physical, social and safety environment, which can be modified by urban regeneration policies. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations of elements of the social, physical and safety environment of the neighborhood in the urban context with self-perceived health (SPH), according to axes of inequality, such as gender and educational level in Chile in 2016. METHODS Cross-sectional study using a nationally representative population-based survey of Chile. We used data from the 2016 National Survey of Quality of Life and Health. Poor SPH in the urban population older than 25 years was analyzed in relation to social, physical and safety environment variables. Poisson multilevel regression models were estimated to obtain prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). All analyses were stratified by sex and educational level. RESULTS SPH was worse in women than in men, especially in those with a lower education level. Poor SPH was associated with lack of support networks (PR = 1.4; 95%CI = 1.1-1.7), non-participation in social organizations (PR = 1.3; 95%CI = 1.1-1.6) and perceived problems with the quality of public space (PR = 1.3; 95%CI = 1.2-1.5) in women with a medium-high educational level and with a feeling of not belonging to the neighborhood (PR = 1.5; 95%CI = 1.2-1.8) and the perception of pollution problems (PR = 1.2; 95%CI = 1.0-1.4) in women with a low educational level. A feeling of unsafety was associated with both educational levels (PR = 1.3; 95%CI = 1.0-1.5). Poor SPH was associated with the feeling of not belonging (PR = 1.7; 95%CI = 1.2-2.5), and unsafety (PR = 2.1; 95%CI = 1.8-2.4) in men with a medium-high educational level, while there were fewer associations in men with a lower education level. CONCLUSIONS Urban interventions are recommended to improve the health of the resident population and should take into account axes of inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia López-Contreras
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
| | - Vanessa Puig-Barrachina
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandra Vives
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, & Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable, CEDEUS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Mercè Gotsens
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
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Motoc I, Hoogendijk EO, Timmermans EJ, Deeg D, Penninx BWJH, Huisman M. Social and physical neighbourhood characteristics and 10-year incidence of depression and anxiety in older adults: Results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Soc Sci Med 2023; 327:115963. [PMID: 37207380 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A growing literature suggests that neighbourhood characteristics are associated with mental health outcomes, but the evidence in older adults is inconsistent. We investigated the association of neighbourhood characteristics, pertaining to demographic, socio-economic, social and physical environment domains, with the subsequent 10-year incidence of depression and anxiety, in Dutch older adults. METHODS In the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed four times between 2005/2006 and 2015/2016, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (n = 1365) and the Anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (n = 1420). Neighbourhood-level data on urban density, percent population over 65 years of age, percent immigrants, average house price, average income, percent low-income earners, social security beneficiaries, social cohesion, safety, proximity to retail facilities, housing quality, percent green space, percent water coverage, air pollution (particulate matter (PM2.5)), and traffic noise, were obtained for study baseline years 2005/2006. Cox proportional hazard regression models, clustered within neighbourhood, were used to estimate the association between each neighbourhood-level characteristic and the incidence of depression and anxiety. RESULTS The incidence of depression and anxiety was 19.9 and 13.2 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Neighbourhood characteristics were not associated with the incidence of depression. However, various neighbourhood characteristics were associated with an increased incidence of anxiety, including: higher urban density level, higher percent immigrants, greater proximity to retail facilities, lower housing quality score, lower safety score, higher PM2.5 levels and less green space. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that several neighbourhood characteristics are associated with anxiety but not with depression incidence in older age. Several of these characteristics have the potential to be modifiable and thus could serve as a target for interventions at the neighbourhood-level in improving anxiety, provided that future studies replicate our findings and provide further evidence for a causal effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Motoc
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Aging & Later Life and Mental Health Programs, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Emiel O Hoogendijk
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Aging & Later Life and Mental Health Programs, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Erik J Timmermans
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dorly Deeg
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Aging & Later Life and Mental Health Programs, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Amsterdam Public Health, Aging & Later Life and Mental Health Programs, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn Huisman
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health, Aging & Later Life and Mental Health Programs, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Sociology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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15
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Macassa G, McGrath C, Wijk K, Rashid M, Hiswåls AS, Soares J. The Association between Fear of Crime, Educational Attainment, and Health. EPIDEMIOLOGIA 2023; 4:148-162. [PMID: 37218875 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia4020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear of crime is an important public health problem that impacts people's quality of life, health, and wellbeing, and causes mental health ailments (e.g., anxiety). This study aimed to determine whether there was an association between fear of crime, educational attainment, and self-rated health and anxiety among women residing in a county in east-central Sweden. A sample (n = 3002) of women aged 18-84 years surveyed in the Health on Equal Terms survey carried out in 2018 was included in the study. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed on the relationship between the composite variables fear of crime, educational attainment, and self-rated health and anxiety. Women with primary education or similar who reported fear of crime had increased odds of poor health (odds ratio (OR) 3.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.40-4.18) compared with women with primary education/similar and no fear of crime (OR 2.90; CI 1.90-3.20). A statistically significant relationship persisted in the multivariate analysis after controlling for other covariates, although the odds were reduced (OR 1.70; CI 1.14-2.53 and 1.73; CI 1.21-2.48, respectively). Similarly, in the bivariate analysis, women who reported fear of crime and who only had primary education had statistically significant odds of anxiety (OR 2.12; CI 1.64-2.74); the significance was removed, and the odds were reduced (OR 1.30; CI 0.93-1.82) after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related covariates. Women with only primary education or similar who reported fear of crime had higher odds of poor health and anxiety compared with those with university education or similar, with and without fear of crime. Future studies (including longitudinal ones) are warranted-on the one hand, to understand possible mechanisms of the relationship between educational attainment and fear of crime and its consequences to health, and on the other, to explore low-educated women's own perceptions regarding factors underlining their fear of crime (qualitative studies).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Macassa
- Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
- EPI Unit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cormac McGrath
- Department of Education, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katarina Wijk
- Centre for Research and Development, Uppsala University, 80187 Gävle, Sweden
- Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, University of Gävle, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mamunur Rashid
- Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
| | - Anne-Sofie Hiswåls
- Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
| | - Joaquim Soares
- Department of Health Sciences, Mid-Sweden University, 85170 Sundsvall, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Europeia, 1500-210 Lisbon, Portugal
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16
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Borg BA, Rabinak CA, Marusak HA. Violence Exposure and Mental Health Consequences Among Urban Youth. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 42:8176-8185. [PMID: 38107483 PMCID: PMC10722903 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02141-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Urban residents are disproportionately affected by violence exposure and mental health consequences as compared to non-urban residents. The present study examined the prevalence of violence exposure and associated mental health consequences among urban and non-urban youth. Urban participants were drawn from Detroit, Michigan, a city that has led the nation for most of the last decade as one of the most violent big cities in the U.S. Participants included 32 Detroit youth and 32 youth recruited from the surrounding non-urban areas, matched on age (M=10.4±2.8 years) and sex (49% male). Youth completed validated measures of violence exposure, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Urban youth reported more violence exposures than their non-urban counterparts, including hearing gunshots (69% vs. 19%, respectively), witnessing a shooting (24% vs. 6%), and witnessing an arrest (58% vs. 27%). Overall, greater violence exposure was associated with more anxiety symptoms, particularly among urban youth. Although violence exposure was not associated with depressive symptoms overall, urban youth reported significantly higher depressive symptoms than non-urban youth. Exposure to specific violence types, particularly hearing gunshots, was associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms among urban but not non-urban youth. Being beat up predicted depressive symptoms among non-urban but not urban youth. Household income and community distress did not predict mental health outcomes. Taken together, urban youth have more exposure to violence, particularly firearm violence, and associated mental health problems than their non-urban counterparts. Targeted community-wide initiatives to prevent violence and identify exposed youth are needed to improve mental health in at-risk communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna A. Borg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University
| | - Christine A. Rabinak
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University
- Translational Neuroscience Program, School of Medicine, Wayne State University
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
| | - Hilary A. Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
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Benavente JM, Goya D. The fear-increasing and fear-decreasing effects of a pilot policy to reduce fear of crime. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282461. [PMID: 36877718 PMCID: PMC9987788 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear of crime has been rising persistently in Chile, even in periods where actual crime rates have decreased, making the perception of crime an important policy issue. This paper presents the results of the impact evaluation of a pilot public policy designed to reduce fear of crime around a shopping centre in Santiago, Chile. The pilot policy consisted of installing a team including police officers and local government officials that handed out information leaflets and talked to passers-by about crime prevention. Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were conducted in the shopping centre where the programme was implemented and in a control shopping centre nearby to identify the causal effects of the policy using a difference-in-differences empirical strategy. The results indicate that the programme was effective in reducing fear of crime around the shopping centre, especially at night among its workers, and that it reduced actual crime. However, a deeper analysis suggests that the programme might have actually increased fear of crime among the individuals who directly interacted with the programme. The reduction in crime might have indirectly resulted in an overall reduction in fear among workers, who are likely to be up to date on criminal occurrences in the area, explaining how an increase in fear in those directly contacted is consistent with an overall reduction in fear across workers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Goya
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, Chile
- * E-mail:
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18
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Zhang L, Zhou S, Qi L, Deng Y. Nonlinear Effects of the Neighborhood Environments on Residents' Mental Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16602. [PMID: 36554482 PMCID: PMC9778789 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the context of rapid urbanization and the "Healthy China" strategy, neighborhood environments play an important role in improving mental health among urban residents. While an increasing number of studies have explored the linear relationships between neighborhood environments and mental health, much remains to be revealed about the nonlinear health effects of neighborhood environments, the thresholds of various environmental factors, and the optimal environmental exposure levels for residents. To fill these gaps, this paper collected survey data from 1003 adult residents in Guangzhou, China, and measured the built and social environments within the neighborhoods. The random forest model was then employed to examine the nonlinear effects of neighborhood environments on mental health, evaluate the importance of each environmental variable, as well as identify the thresholds and optimal levels of various environmental factors. The results indicated that there are differences in the importance of diverse neighborhood environmental factors affecting mental health, and the more critical environmental factors included greenness, neighborhood communication, and fitness facility density. The nonlinear effects were shown to be universal and varied among neighborhood environmental factors, which could be classified into two categories: (i) higher exposure levels of some environmental factors (e.g., greenness, neighborhood communication, and neighborhood safety) were associated with better mental health; (ii) appropriate exposure levels of some environmental factors (e.g., medical, fitness, and entertainment facilities, and public transport stations) had positive effects on mental health, whereas a much higher or lower exposure level exerted a negative impact. Additionally, this study identified the exact thresholds and optimal exposure levels of neighborhood environmental factors, such as the threshold (22.00%) and optimal exposure level (>22.00%) of greenness and the threshold (3.80 number/km2) and optimal exposure level (3.80 number/km2) of fitness facility density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Institute of Studies for the Greater Bay Area (Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau), Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Suhong Zhou
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Public Security and Disaster, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Lanlan Qi
- School of Management, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Yue Deng
- School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
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19
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Stickley A, Kondo N, Inoue Y, Kanamori M, Kino S, Arakawa Y, McKee M. Worry about crime and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union. SSM Popul Health 2022; 21:101316. [PMID: 36632051 PMCID: PMC9827055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Worry about crime has been linked to several detrimental outcomes including worse mental health. However, there has been little research on the association between worry about crime and loneliness, even though loneliness is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health issue. To address this deficit, this study examined the association between worry about crime and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine), using data from 18,000 respondents aged 18 and above that were collected during the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) survey in 2010/11. Results from a pooled logistic regression analysis showed that compared to those who reported no worry about crime, individuals with a high level of worry had significantly higher odds of loneliness (odds ratio [OR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.75). Sex- and age-stratified analyses further showed that the association was observed in women with a mid (OR: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.10-1.71) and a high level (OR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.33-2.17) of worry about crime but not in men, and that a high level of worry about crime was linked to loneliness in adults aged 35-59 (OR: 1.39, 95%CI: 1.02-1.91) and 60 and above (OR: 1.64, 95%CI: 1.12-2.40) but not in those aged 18-34. High levels of worry about crime are associated with loneliness in the FSU countries. Reducing crime and its associated worries may have important public health benefits in these countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Stickley
- Stockholm Centre for Health and Social Change (SCOHOST), Sodertorn University, Huddinge, Sweden,Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan,Corresponding author. Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Naoki Kondo
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yosuke Inoue
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mariko Kanamori
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan,Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shiho Kino
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan,Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Arakawa
- Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Martin McKee
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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20
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Huber BD, Kim B, Chaix B, Regan SD, Duncan DT. Objective and Subjective Neighborhood Crime Associated with Poor Sleep among Young Sexual Minority Men: a GPS Study. J Urban Health 2022; 99:1115-1126. [PMID: 35931941 PMCID: PMC9727059 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00674-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disparities in sexual minority male (SMM) populations have received relatively little attention but they may be critical to explaining other health disparities seen among SMM, via neural or hormonal pathways. Recent research suggests that crime may be a psychosocial stressor that contributes to sleep disparities but that finding has been based on subjective measures of crime. We conducted the P18 Neighborhood Study of 250 SMM in New York City, including 211 with adequate GPS tracking data. We used the GPS tracking data to define daily path area activity spaces and tested the associations of violent crime in those activity spaces and in the subject's residential neighborhood, perceived neighborhood safety, and witnessing crime with a subjective measure of sleep. Using quasi-Poisson regression, adjusted for individual and neighborhood socio-demographics, we found that SMM who witnessed more types of crime experienced significantly more nights of poor sleep over the course of a month (RR: 1.16, 95%CI: 1.05-1.27, p-value: < 0.01). We did not find any associations between violent crime rates in either the activity area or residential area and sleep. Our findings support the conclusion that personal exposure to crime is associated with sleep problems and provide further evidence for the pathway between stress and sleep. The lack of association between neighborhood crime levels and sleep suggests that there must be personal experience with crime and ambient presence is insufficient to produce an effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Huber
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Byoungjun Kim
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Basile Chaix
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie Et de Santé Publique IPLESP, Nemesis team, F75012, Paris, France
| | - Seann D Regan
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dustin T Duncan
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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21
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Jacobs R, Farina N, Schneider M. Cross-cultural adaptation of the EAST and CASE screening tools for elder abuse in South Africa. J Elder Abuse Negl 2022; 34:369-392. [PMID: 36734135 DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2023.2176393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Elder abuse is globally considered a hidden problem with great variations in its conceptualization across cultures, non-uniformity in understanding, and manifestations of abuse and neglect. Currently, there are no validated or culturally adapted screening measures for elder abuse in South Africa. The aim of this study was to test the cultural appropriateness of the Elder Abuse Screening Tool (EAST) and the Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE) in two regions and four languages in South Africa. Using a cognitive interviewing methodology, 23 carers and 19 older adults were interviewed. Findings show that questions in the EAST and CASE are generally well understood, but that adaptations of both tools are necessary for use within South Africa. Fear, knowledge, and experience of crime also showed that strangers, like family, deliberately use deception to build trust and abuse. Further validation is needed to determine suitable scoring and use by health and social care practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Jacobs
- Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicolas Farina
- Community and Primary Care Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Marguerite Schneider
- Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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22
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Thompson S, Ohlsson H, Khoshnood A, Sundquist J, Sundquist K. Neighbourhood crime and major depression in Sweden: A national cohort study. Health Place 2022; 78:102922. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Guo F, Harris KM, Boardman JD, Robinette JW. Does crime trigger genetic risk for type 2 diabetes in young adults? A G x E interaction study using national data. Soc Sci Med 2022; 313:115396. [PMID: 36215925 PMCID: PMC11081708 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Living in neighborhoods perceived as disordered exacerbates genetic risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) among older adults. It is unknown whether this gene-neighborhood interaction extends to younger adults. The present study aims to investigate whether crime, an objectively measured indicator of neighborhood disorder, triggers genetic risk for T2D among younger adults, and whether this hypothesized triggering occurs through exposure to obesity. METHODS Data were from the Wave I (2008) National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. A standardized T2D polygenic score was created using 2014 GWAS meta-analysis results. Weighted mediation analyses using generalized structural equation models were conducted in a final sample of 7606 adults (age range: 25-34) to test the overall association of T2D polygenic scores with T2D, and the mediating path through obesity exposure in low, moderate, and high county crime-rate groups. Age, sex, ancestry, educational degree, household income, five genetic principal components, and county-level concentrated advantage and population density were adjusted. RESULTS The overall association between T2D polygenic score and T2D was not significant in low-crime areas (p = 0.453), marginally significant in moderate-crime areas (p = 0.064), and statistically significant in high-crime areas (p = 0.007). The mediating path through obesity was not significant in low or moderate crime areas (ps = 0.560 and 0.261, respectively), but was statistically significant in high-crime areas (p = 0.023). The indirect path through obesity accounted for 12% of the overall association in high-crime area. CONCLUSION A gene-crime interaction in T2D was observed among younger adults, and this association was partially explained by exposure to obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangqi Guo
- Psychology Department, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, CA, USA.
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason D Boardman
- Department of Sociology, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA; Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer W Robinette
- Psychology Department, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University, CA, USA
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Kort-Butler LA. Pandemic, Politics, and Public Opinion About Crime. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REVIEW 2022. [PMCID: PMC9551665 DOI: 10.1177/07340168221131379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Prior scholarship links ontological insecurities, racial tensions, and health
issues to public opinion about crime. This project examined these forces in the
context of the 2020 pandemic, racial justice demonstrations, and politics using
data from the Nebraska 2020 survey (N = 2775). Pandemic-related insecurities and
racial animus were associated with avoiding places in the community, worry about
crime, and the belief that police in one's community are underfunded. Trusting
politicians but distrusting health leaders, and viewing COVID as an economic
threat but not a health threat were associated with the belief police are
underfunded. Results suggest that the politicization of the pandemic may
influence support for criminal justice policies that promise a return to “law
and order.”
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. Kort-Butler
- University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE,
USA,Lisa A. Kort-Butler, Soicology, University
of Nebraska, 711 Oldfather Hall, PO Box 880324, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
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Meyer OL, Koo HJ, Strominger J, Tran D, Bach A, Leggett AN. Neighborhood Characteristics and Caregiver Depressive Symptoms in the National Study of Caregiving. J Aging Health 2022; 34:1005-1015. [PMID: 35428405 PMCID: PMC9749613 DOI: 10.1177/08982643221085106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: We examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and depressive symptoms in a population-based sample of dementia caregivers. Methods: Data came from the 2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving. The sample included 956 caregivers of those with dementia. Linear regression was used to examine associations between neighborhood physical disorder neighborhood social cohesion, and depressive symptoms, and to test the moderating effect of social support on these relations. Results: Results suggested that having friends and family (1) to talk to buffered the effect of high NPD and low cohesion on depressive symptoms, (2) to help with daily activities buffered the effect of low cohesion on depressive symptoms, and finally, and (3) to help with care had a protective effect on depressive symptoms if social cohesion was high. Discussion: Neighborhood contextual characteristics and social support interact to affect caregiver depressive symptoms in complex ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oanh L. Meyer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Hyun Jung Koo
- Department of Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry Section, University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, MI 48109, USA
| | - Julie Strominger
- Department of Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry Section, University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, MI 48109, USA
| | - Duyen Tran
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anna Bach
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Amanda N. Leggett
- Department of Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry Section, University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, MI 48109, USA
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26
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Winter SC, Aguilar NJ, Obara LM, Johnson L. "Next, it will be you": Women's Fear of Victimization and Precautionary Safety Behaviors in Informal Settlement Communities in Nairobi, Kenya. Violence Against Women 2022; 28:2966-2991. [PMID: 34859703 DOI: 10.1177/10778012211045718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Around one billion people live in informal settlements globally, including over half of Nairobi, Kenya's 3 million residents. The purpose of this study was to explore women's fear of victimization within Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya and how fear of victimization influences women's behaviors. Fifty-five in-depth interviews were conducted with women in 2015-2016. A modified grounded theory approach guided data collection and analysis. Findings suggest fear of victimization is a serious concern in informal settlements, but women have found ways to adapt their behaviors to cope and to continue to function and protect their children despite fearing victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathan J Aguilar
- School of Social Work, 5798Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lena M Obara
- School of Social Work, 242612Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Laura Johnson
- School of Social Work, 16043Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
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Almanza Avendaño AM, Romero-Mendoza M, Gómez San Luis AH. From harassment to disappearance: Young women’s feelings of insecurity in public spaces. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272933. [PMID: 36070257 PMCID: PMC9451059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are processes of gender socialization that increase the vulnerability of young women against a continuum of threats in the public space. This study explored the feeling of insecurity in public spaces among young women in a city located near the northern border of Mexico. Methods and findings This study was based on the tradition of grounded theory. Purposive sampling was used, and 24 group interviews were conducted with junior high school, high school and university students to understand the conditions that favour the emergence of the feeling of insecurity, its psychosocial consequences and management strategies. A computer-assisted qualitative analysis was performed using MAXQDA 18 software. The study showed that street harassment was manifested mainly as sexual harassment but generated a continuous threat of feminicide and disappearance. Young women experienced discomfort and restrictions on mobility, and they had to assume individual responsibility for their safety in the absence of support from the state. Conclusions The interaction between gender and age determines the vulnerability to crime in urban spaces. Future studies could analyse the chronic impact of this continuum of threats and develop psychosocial interventions that promote the empowerment of young women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martha Romero-Mendoza
- Directorate of Epidemiological and Psychosocial Research, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
- * E-mail:
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Ayuso-Álvarez A, Ortiz C, López-Cuadrado T, Rodríguez-Blázquez C, Fernández-Navarro P, González-Palacios J, Damián J, Galán I. Rural-urban gradients and all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality in Spain using individual data. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101232. [PMID: 36188419 PMCID: PMC9516441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature reporting on rural-urban health status disparities remains inconclusive. We analyzed data from a longitudinal population-based study using individual observations. Our results show that the risks of all-cause and cancer mortality are greater in large cities than in other municipalities, with no clear urban-rural gradient. Not differences were found among territories in cardiovascular mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ayuso-Álvarez
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Sociology Department, Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Ortiz
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa López-Cuadrado
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Autonomous University of Madrid/IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pablo Fernández-Navarro
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Bioinformatics and Data Management Group (BIODAMA), National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier González-Palacios
- Bioinformatics and Data Management Group (BIODAMA), National Centre for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Damián
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iñaki Galán
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Autonomous University of Madrid/IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
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Learnihan V, Kinfu Y, Turrell G. Social determinants of depression among mid-to-older aged Australians: A prospective study of the effects of neighbourhood disadvantage and crime. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101190. [PMID: 35990410 PMCID: PMC9385683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Few studies examining social determinants of depression have incorporated area level objectively measured crime combined with self-report measures of perceived crime. How these factors may interrelate with neighbourhood disadvantage is not well understood, particularly in Australia, where mental health disorders are of major concern. This study examined relationships between area-level objective crime, self-reported perceptions of crime, neighbourhood disadvantage and depression, and potential mechanisms by which these variables indirectly lead to depression. Methods This study used data from the HABITAT Project, a representative longitudinal study of persons aged 40–65 years residing in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia, during 2007–2016. A prospective sample of residentially stable persons who reported depression at two years (n =3120) and five years (n=2249) post-follow-up was developed. Area level objective crimes were categorised as either crimes against the person, social incivilities or unlawful entry. Logistic regression was used to establish relationships with depression, followed by a decomposition analysis to establish potential mechanisms. Results Neighbourhoods in the highest quartile of crimes against the person had an increased risk of individuals reporting depression at all periods of follow-up. Associations were also found between unlawful entry and depression. Decomposition analysis indicated a positive and significant total effect of crime against the person on depression for all periods of follow-up, while an indirect effect of perceived crime was found to partially explain this relationship at 2-years after baseline (prop. Mediated = 46.5%), and at either or both periods of follow-up (prop. Mediated = 53.7%), but not at 5-years follow-up. Discussion Neighbourhoods with the highest levels of crime against the person may influence depression over time through a pathway of perceived crime. Perceived crime, particularly in areas of high crime against the person should be considered as part of a multi-faceted strategy aimed at improving population mental health. Prospective study of depression amongst mid to older aged Australians. Objective and perceived crime are rarely included together in one study. Area level crime against the person associated with the incidence of depression. Neighbourhood disadvantage associated with depression. Perceived crime partly mediates association between crime against the person and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Learnihan
- Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
- Corresponding author. Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, University Drive, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
| | - Yohannes Kinfu
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Health Metrics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gavin Turrell
- Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
- Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
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The Sense of Safety and Active Leisure in Gated Enclaves: Evidence from Fuzhou University Campus. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14137784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Scientific interest in how residential patterns affect both people’s subjective sense of safety and their behavior is increasing. The surge of gated communities in the world has changed the way we live to a great extent. Research on the gated development trend in postmodern cities is still limited; therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between residents’ attitudes toward gated enclaves and their sense of safety. At the same time, the relationship between a sense of security and active leisure behavior was also investigated. Using data collected from 350 college students in Fuzhou University Town, this study introduces a conceptual model to test the relationship between closed enclaves, campus security, and active leisure behavior while controlling population and community characteristics. The results of structural equation model analysis show that gated enclaves positively correlate with campus safety and positively correlate with active leisure behavior, and a safe campus positively correlates with active leisure behavior. The results of this study focus on the importance of gated enclaves as a living environment, and the discovery of functional characteristics of gated enclaves supports future interventions. In other words, when promoting active leisure behavior and increasing the sense of safety in the neighborhood environment, attention must be paid to the characteristics of these gated enclaves. In addition, the simultaneous measurement of these structures provides a dynamic observation of the existing environment, as well as information for future research and construction. Decision makers and urban planners can use these results to promote interaction and healthy behavior in the community under the multi-angle development of the existing access control, thereby improving residents’ sense of security, and increasing leisure participation.
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Zhang R, He X, Liu Y, Li M, Zhou C. The Relationship Between Built Environment and Mental Health of Older Adults: Mediating Effects of Perceptions of Community Cohesion and Community Safety and the Moderating Effect of Income. Front Public Health 2022; 10:881169. [PMID: 35784206 PMCID: PMC9247295 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.881169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies revealed a significant correlation between low-density built environment and the mental health of older adults in developed countries. However, scholars and decision-makers recently began to pay close attention to the effect of this relationship in high-density built environments and in developing countries. Using point-of-interest (POI) data from Baidu and data on 20 communities in Guangzhou, China, which were collected through a questionnaire survey, this study aimed to examine the relationship between built environment and the mental health of older adults as well as the physiological–psychological mediating paths between the two, so as to enrich the research on population aging in the high-density urban context in developing countries. The findings indicated that facility accessibility and distance to parks significantly positively correlated with the mental health of older adults and the number of public transit stations, and the distance to these stations significantly negatively correlated with the mental health of older adults. Also, the perceptions of community cohesion and community safety had a significant mediating effect between the built environment and the mental health of older adults. Furthermore, the moderating effect analysis results verified the moderating effect of income: with an increase in income, the perception of community cohesion enhanced the protection of the mental health of older adults and reduced the mediating effect of the perception of community safety. The results provided a reference for policy-makers and urban planners in their efforts to plan and build health-supporting communities and a healthy aging society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongrong Zhang
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong He
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Li
- Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center MNR, Beijing, China
| | - Chunshan Zhou
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chunshan Zhou
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Venter ZS, Shackleton C, Faull A, Lancaster L, Breetzke G, Edelstein I. Is green space associated with reduced crime? A national-scale study from the Global South. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 825:154005. [PMID: 35192811 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Assumptions about the link between green space and crime mitigation are informed by literature that overwhelmingly originates in the Global North. Little is known about the association between green spaces and crime in the Global South. We utilized 10 years of precinct-level crime statistics (n = 1152) over South Africa, a global crime hotspot, to test the hypothesis that green space is associated with reduced crime rates. We found that, after controlling for a number of socio-demographic confounders (unemployment, income, age, education, land use and population density), for every 1% increase in total green space there is a 1.2% (0.7 to 1.7%; 95% confidence interval) decrease in violent crime, and 1.3% (0.8 to 1.8%) decrease in property crime, with no effect on sexual crimes. However, the direction of the association changed for property crimes when exploring the effect of green space characteristics including tree cover and park accessibility. Property crimes increase by 0.4% (0.1 to 0.7%) with a percentage increase in tree cover, and by 0.9% (0.5 to 1.3%) with every kilometer increase in proximity to a public park. Further research, including experimental studies, is needed to better isolate causal mechanisms behind crime-green space associations, especially considering that green space may map to race and income inequality and that there may be more crime reporting in affluent areas. Nevertheless, our results provide a complementary contribution to the evidence from the Global North, highlighting the need for more nuanced definitions of green space and its characteristics when considering links to crime. When viewed in light of the broader suite of ecosystem services provided by green space, our results support urban greening as a major strategy towards achieving just and sustainable cities and towns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zander S Venter
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, Sognsveien 68, 0855 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Charlie Shackleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Andrew Faull
- Institute for Security Studies, 0181, South Africa; Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Gregory Breetzke
- Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Ian Edelstein
- Safety and Violence Initiative, University of Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
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Pearson AL, Shewark EA, Burt SA. Associations between neighborhood built, social, or toxicant conditions and child externalizing behaviors in the Detroit metro area: a cross-sectional study of the neighborhood ‘exposome’. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1064. [PMID: 35643553 PMCID: PMC9145391 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13442-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The specific ‘active ingredients’ through which neighborhood disadvantage increases risk for child psychopathology remains unclear, in large part because research to date has nearly always focused on poverty to the exclusion of other neighborhood domains. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether currently assessed neighborhood built, social, or toxicant conditions were associated with child externalizing psychopathology outcomes separately, and in a combined model, using data from the Detroit-metro county area. Methods We conducted principal components analyses for built, social, or toxicant conditions. Next, we fitted separate multiple regression models for each of the child externalizing psychopathology measures (oppositional defiant and conduct problems) as a function of built, social, or toxicant components. Results We found that built features (more non-profits, churches, and alcohol outlets, and less agriculture and vacant properties) were associated with conduct problems, while toxicant conditions (high percent industrial, toxins released and number of pre-1978 structures) were associated with oppositional defiance problems. There was no significant association between greenspace or social conditions and child externalizing outcomes. When examined simultaneously, only the significant independent association between built conditions and conduct problems remained. Conclusions Built, social, and toxicant neighborhood conditions are not interchangeable aspects of a given neighborhood. What’s more, built features are uniquely associated with child externalizing outcomes independently of other neighborhood characteristics. Future research should consider how changes in the built conditions of the neighborhood (e.g., development, decay) serve to shape child externalizing behaviors, with a focus on identifying potentially actionable elements. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13442-z.
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Awaworyi Churchill S, Smyth R. Locus of control and the mental health effects of local area crime. Soc Sci Med 2022; 301:114910. [PMID: 35306270 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exposure to local crime can constitute profound and continuing trauma with significant mental health implications. This is true for both victims and others within society who have not been directly victimised. Yet, for most policymakers, understanding what can be done to help victims to improve their level of mental wellbeing, has proved to be extremely challenging. OBJECTIVE Our objective is to explore the role of locus of control (LoC), an important personality trait, in helping victims to develop resilience against crime. Specifically, we seek to examine the impact of local area crime rates on the mental health of residents and whether a person's LoC can help build resilience against the negative mental health effects from local area crime. METHODS Using 19 waves of longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, covering 15,245 adults between the ages of 21 and 59 years, we employ an empirical strategy that addresses the issue of sorting and endogenous crime-related moving behaviour. RESULTS We find that local area crime lowers mental health for residents, and that those who are more internal on LoC are more resilient to the adverse effects of local crime on mental health. Our results also show that social capital, physical activity, perceived safety and neighbourhood satisfaction are mechanisms through which LoC moderates the effect of local crime on mental health. CONCLUSION Our findings have important implications for developing policies that seek to address the negative effects of crime. We propose policies that promote building safer communities and fostering social inclusion as ways to reduce the effect of crime on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sefa Awaworyi Churchill
- School of Economics, Finance & Marketing, RMIT University, VIC, 3000, Australia; PIIRS, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States.
| | - Russell Smyth
- Department of Economics, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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Handerer F, Kinderman P, Shafti M, Tai S. A Scoping Review and Narrative Synthesis Comparing the Constructs of Social Determinants of Health and Social Determinants of Mental Health: Matryoshka or Two Independent Constructs? Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:848556. [PMID: 35492698 PMCID: PMC9046700 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.848556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many health research policies invoke the construct of Social Determinants of Health, and more recently the construct of Social Determinants of Mental Health. While frequently referred to in the literature, it is unclear how these constructs relate to each other. Some commentators conceptualise the Determinants of Mental Health as a subgroup of the Determinants of general Health and others describe the Determinants of Mental Health as an autonomous construct. The current review investigates the relationship between both constructs. Methods Comprehensive literature searches were conducted for both constructs separately within seven electronic databases. A template analysis was conducted to compare the conceptualisations of the Social Determinants of Health and the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Results Of 4250 search results, 50 papers (25 for each construct) fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were incorporated into a narrative synthesis. Discussions of the Social Determinants of both general and Mental Health listed the same determinants. Both constructs were conceptualised on multiple levels and factors. Stress and health behaviour were also described as mediators for both constructs. The constructs differed, however, with respect to two components of their aetiologies and epistemologies. First, the causal mechanisms invoked for the Determinants of general Health followed predominantly direct pathways, in contrast to indirect pathways for the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Second, the Social Determinants of Mental Health were reported to influence mental health mediated through individuals' perceptions and appraisal processes. Appraisal processes were considered of far less relevance in the construct of Social Determinants of Health. Conclusion The constructs of Social Determinants of Health and Social Determinants of Mental Health align in many respects but differ on important aetiological and epistemological grounds. Similar social factors are considered important, but whereas physical health conditions are primarily conceptualised to be driven by objective realities, mental health is explained mainly in terms of perception of these realities. This differentiation between physical and mental health is in line with a modern understanding of mind-body-dualism, the naturalistic dualism after Chalmers. Differentiating the Social Determinants of Mental Health from the Social Determinants of Health might bear relevance for policy making and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fritz Handerer
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Kinderman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Matina Shafti
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Tai
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Lebow-Skelley E, Young L, Noibi Y, Blaginin K, Hooker M, Williamson D, Tomlinson MS, Kegler MC, Pearson MA. Defining the Exposome Using Popular Education and Concept Mapping With Communities in Atlanta, Georgia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:842539. [PMID: 35493396 PMCID: PMC9039048 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.842539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The exposome concept provides a framework to better incorporate the environment into the study of health and disease and has been defined by academics to encompass all lifetime exposures including toxicants, diet, and lifestyle choices. However, initial applications of the exposome concept have been less apt at measuring social determinants of health, focusing primarily on conventional environmental exposures and lifestyle choices that do not reflect the complex lived experience of many communities. To bring community voice into the exposome concept, the HERCULES Exposome Research Center and its Stakeholder Advisory Board co-developed the Exposome Roadshow. We present and discuss the resulting community-exposome definition to inform and improve exposome research. Materials and Methods Four communities from distinct areas across metro-Atlanta participated in separate 2-day Exposome Roadshow workshops with concept mapping. Aligned with a popular education approach in which community knowledge is used to work collectively for change, concept mapping provided a systematic method to collect and visualize community members' knowledge and create a shared understanding to take action. Community members brainstormed, sorted, and rated their responses to the prompt: "What in your environment is affecting your and your community's health?" Responses were analyzed and visually depicted by concept maps consisting of separate but interrelated clusters of ideas. Community members discussed and validated the maps, selecting a final map illustrating their community's exposome. Results A total of 118 community members completed concept mapping. On average communities identified 7 clusters to define their exposome. The resulting concept maps offer a community definition of the exposome. Five major themes arose across all four communities: conventional environmental concerns, built environment, social relationships, crime and safety, and individual health and behaviors. Discussion The resulting community-exposome definition demonstrates the importance of expanding the scope of exposures beyond traditional environmental influences to include the lived experience of individuals and communities. While newer exposome definitions align more closely with this community definition, traditional exposome methods do not routinely include these factors. To truly capture the totality of lifetime exposures and improve human health, researchers should incorporate community perspectives into exposome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Lebow-Skelley
- HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States,*Correspondence: Erin Lebow-Skelley
| | - Lynne Young
- HERCULES Stakeholder Advisory Board, Atlanta, GA, United States,Pathways to Sustainability, Duluth, GA, United States
| | - Yomi Noibi
- HERCULES Stakeholder Advisory Board, Atlanta, GA, United States,Environmental Community Action (ECO-Action), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Karla Blaginin
- HERCULES Stakeholder Advisory Board, Atlanta, GA, United States,Dichos de la Casa, Norcross, GA, United States
| | - Margaret Hooker
- HERCULES Stakeholder Advisory Board, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Dana Williamson
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Martha Scott Tomlinson
- HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michelle C. Kegler
- Emory Prevention Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Melanie A. Pearson
- HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Wan J, Zhao Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Su Y, Song X, Zhang S, Zhang C, Zhu W, Yang J. The Effects of Urban Neighborhood Environmental Evaluation and Health Service Facilities on Residents' Self-Rated Physical and Mental Health: A Comparative and Empirical Survey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084501. [PMID: 35457365 PMCID: PMC9027638 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: The neighborhood environment has been shown to be an essential factor affecting residents’ quality of life and health, but the relationship between the characteristics of health service facilities and health levels is rarely known. (2) Methods: This study used a representative sample (n = 591, 303 women; 288 men, age 18–85 years, lived in Chengdu for an extensive time) of residents living in Chengdu City, China, and took spatial point data and empirical research data to construct an ordered logistic regression model. We contrastively analyzed the influence of different variables in the neighborhood environment and health service facilities on self-rated physical health (SRPH) and self-rated mental health (SRMH). (3) Results: The frequency of use and accessibility of multiple facilities in the health service facilities were significantly associated with self-rated health (SRH). Significant differences occurred between residents’ perceived accessibility and actual accessibility of facilities in SRH. Comparing the results of SRPH and SRMH revealed that the influencing factors that affect the two vary. The factors that significantly affect SRMH include neighborhood physical environment evaluation; social environmental evaluation; the frequency of use of the parks and squares, and sports zones; and the accessibility of parks and squares, specialized hospitals, community hospitals, and pharmacies. However, the factors that significantly affect SRPH include the frequency of use of sports venues, general hospitals, and pharmacies and the accessibility of general hospitals. The social environment of the neighborhood is also a non-negligible part, and its interaction with the physical environment of the neighborhood affects the outcome of SRH. (4) Conclusions: Neighborhood environmental characteristics and the layout of health service facilities have significant differential effects on people’s physical and psychological health, and this information is of great value in promoting healthy city development and improving the quality of life of urban populations around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangjun Wan
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yutong Zhao
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yun Chen
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yanlan Wang
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yi Su
- Rural Development Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Social Science, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Xueqian Song
- School of Management, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, China;
| | - Shaoyao Zhang
- College of Geography and Resources Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China;
| | - Chengyan Zhang
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wei Zhu
- School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611830, China; (J.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (C.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Jinxiu Yang
- School of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 610101, China
- Correspondence:
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Tseliou F, Ashfield-Watt P. The association between resilience resources, contextual factors and mental health status: a national population-based study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:602. [PMID: 35351041 PMCID: PMC8962564 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13013-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although a range of risk factors have been linked with poor mental health across the population, the underlying pathways leading to mental ill health remain unclear. There is a need to investigate the effects and interplay of both protective and risk factors. This population-based study aimed to explore the effects of individual and contextual factors on mental health status. Record-linkage was implemented between health and lifestyle data drawn from HealthWise Wales (HWW), a national population health survey of people > 16 years who live or access their healthcare in Wales, and treatment data from primary healthcare records. Mental health status was assessed using three different measures, including the self-reported MHI-5 and WEMWBS scales and mental health treatment in electronic healthcare records (EHR). Result Using cross-sectional data from 27,869 HWW participants aged over 16 years, lifestyle factors, resilience, social cohesion and neighbourhood attraction were associated with mental health across all measures. However, compared to contextual factors, the cluster of individual factors was more closely associated with poor mental health, explaining more of the variance across all measures used (MHI-5: 9.8% versus 5.4%; WEMWBS: 15.9% versus 10.3%; EHR: 5.5% versus 3.0%). Additional analysis on resilience sub-constructs indicated that personal skills were the most closely correlated with poorer mental health. Conclusion Mental health status was more closely linked with individual factors across the population than contextual factors. Interventions focusing on improving individual resilience and coping skills could improve mental health outcomes and reduce the negative effect of contextual factors such as negative neighbourhood perceptions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13013-2.
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Predicting Frequent and Feared Crime Typologies: Individual and Social/Environmental Variables, and Incivilities. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci11030126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of organisation in urban spaces plays a decisive role in the level of integration, communication and social bonds of the residents, impacting the citizens’ feelings of trust and security. Different personal variables and contextual characteristics have been associated with the fear of crime (FOC). The main objective of this study is to analyse how individual and social/environmental variables, and incivilities, predict crime against people and property, crime that has either happened or is feared to happen. Five hundred and fifty-four residents (M = 43.82; SD = 18.38) in the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP), Portugal, answered 61 items of the Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS) Questionnaire. The results of this study show that in the most frequent crime category, 72% of occurrences represent crime against property. In the feared crime category, there is a preponderance of crime against people (61%). Age of the respondents predicted the most frequent and feared crime, while sex predicted the most feared crime only. Social/environmental variables, as well as incivilities, also predict the frequent and feared crime in two typologies, i.e., crime against people and crime against property. Practical implications to reduce FOC and areas for further investigation are discussed.
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Rezapour M, Dehzangi A, Saadati F. Students' negative emotions and their rational and irrational behaviors during COVID-19 outbreak. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264985. [PMID: 35255106 PMCID: PMC8901067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The pandemic has posed an intense threat to the mental health of younger adults. Despite significant efforts in studying various aspects of COVID-19, there is a dearth of evidence on how negative emotions are associated with behaviors. A comparison across associated factors to different negative emotions by means of a unified model is especially missing from the literature. This study was conducted by using the results of a survey conducted across 2,534 students enrolled in 7 states in the US. Various feelings such as sad, irritable, stress and guilt were analyzed in a unified model by means of seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). Questions were asked related to rationally limiting the spread of virus, and questions related to behaviors that seem to be extreme. Irrational behaviors, such as limiting exercise at home due to COVID-19 could be due to experiencing negative emotions, which distort the meaning of events for the students. That behavior, for instance, was found to be positively associated with various negative feelings. In addition, the results highlighted significant differences across emotions in terms of demographic characteristics such as gender and age, and various precautionary actions that students take, such as limiting outdoor activities or limiting social gathering. For instance, it was highlighted while avoiding a large group of people, in spite of its importance in curbing the spread of virus, is negatively associated with various negative emotions, taking a possible nonconsequential precaution of completely limiting all people outside the immediate family result in a higher level of negative emotions. Also, it was found that having a higher body mass index (BMI), self-rated worse health conditions, and limiting outdoor activities have detrimental effects on the mental health of students.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arash Dehzangi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Farzaneh Saadati
- Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Burt CJ, Kondo MC, Hohl BC, Gong CH, Bushman G, Wixom C, South EC, Cunningham RM, Carter PM, Branas CC, Zimmerman MA. Community Greening, Fear of Crime, and Mental Health Outcomes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 69:46-58. [PMID: 34333789 PMCID: PMC8803989 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Unmaintained vacant land in urban areas is associated with a number of negative outcomes for residents of urban areas, including mental and physical health, safety, and quality of life. Community programs which promote land parcel maintenance in urban neighborhoods have been found to reverse some of the effects that unmaintained land has on nearby residents. We explored how land parcel maintenance is associated with mental health outcomes using data collected in Flint, MI in 2017-2018. Trained observers assessed the maintenance of approximately 7200 land parcels and surveyed 691 residents (57% Female, 53% Black, M age = 51). We aggregated resident and parcel rating data to 463 street segments and compared three structural equation models (SEM) to estimate the mediating effects of fear of crime on the association of parcel qualities on mental distress for residents. We found that fear of crime mediated the association between parcel maintenance values and mental distress indicating that poor maintenance predicted more fear of crime which was associated with mental distress. Our findings add to our understanding about the mechanism by which vacant lot improvements may operate to enhance psychological well-being of residents who live on streets with vacant and unkept lots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy J. Burt
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Michelle C. Kondo
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia Field Station, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bernadette C. Hohl
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Gregory Bushman
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Caroline Wixom
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eugenia C. South
- Urban Health Lab, Department of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca M. Cunningham
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Patrick M. Carter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Charles C. Branas
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
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Baranyi G, Sieber S, Pearce J, Cullati S, Dibben C, Cheval B. Lower social participation partly explains the association between perceived neighbourhood crime and depressive symptoms in European adults aged 50 years or older: A longitudinal mediation analysis. Prev Med 2022; 155:106954. [PMID: 35065978 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Neighbourhood crime likely increases the risk of developing depression among older adults. However, little is known about the underlying behavioural and social pathways. We examined the association between perceived neighbourhood crime and depressive symptoms and whether this relationship was mediated by health behaviours (physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption) and social participation. Furthermore, we explored differential vulnerability across age, gender, education and household wealth. Data were drawn from six waves of longitudinal data (from 2004/2005 to 2017) of approximately 15,000 adults aged 50 years and older, derived from the multi-national Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Perceived neighbourhood crime and covariates were measured at baseline, time-variant mediators and depressive symptoms across all waves. Confounder-adjusted mediator and outcome models were fitted with mixed-effects models. Total association was decomposed into direct and indirect pathways applying causal mediation analyses with Monte-Carlo simulations. Perceived crime was associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms; 4.6% of the effect was mediated via lower engagement in social activities (b = 0.005; 95% CI: 0.001-0.009). No mediation was detected through physical activity, smoking or alcohol consumption. Exploratory analyses revealed that the mediating role of social participation was more pronounced among participants with low household wealth (b = 0.012; 95% CI: 0.004-0.023; 7.3% mediated). Lower engagement in social activities partly explained the association between perceived neighbourhood crime and depressive symptoms in adults aged 50 years or older. Policies targeting disadvantaged communities to prevent crime and support social participation might be beneficial for population mental health, especially among financially vulnerable older residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Stefan Sieber
- LIVES Centre, Swiss Centre of Expertise in Life Course Research, Switzerland; Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Cullati
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland; Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris Dibben
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Boris Cheval
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression (E3Lab), Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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Kaplan J, Chalfin A. Ambient lighting, use of outdoor spaces and perceptions of public safety: evidence from a survey experiment. SECURITY JOURNAL 2022; 35:694-724. [PMCID: PMC8038535 DOI: 10.1057/s41284-021-00296-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Observational evidence suggests that better ambient lighting leads people to feel safer when spending time outdoors in their community. We subject this finding to greater scrutiny and elaborate on the extent to which improvements in street lighting affect routine activities during nighttime hours. We report evidence from a survey experiment that examines individuals’ perceptions of safety under two different intensities of nighttime ambient lighting. Brighter street lighting leads individuals to feel safer and over half of survey respondents are willing to pay an additional $400 per year in taxes in order to finance a hypothetical program which would replace dim yellow street lights with brighter LED lights. However, poor lighting does not change people’s willingness to spend time outdoors or to engage in behaviors which mitigate risk. Results suggest that street lighting is a means through which policymakers can both control crime and improve community well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron Chalfin
- Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, 558 McNeil Building, Philadelphia, USA
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Andersen LMB, Rasmussen AN, Reavley NJ, Bøggild H, Overgaard C. The social route to mental health: A systematic review and synthesis of theories linking social relationships to mental health to inform interventions. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Winter SC, Johnson L, Obara LM. Neighborhood Cohesion, Perceptions of Disorder, and the Geography of Women's Fear of Crime in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 68:385-401. [PMID: 34109649 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fear of crime is more pervasive and harder to address than crime itself and can cause physical and psychological health complications, particularly for women. Fear of crime is not always grounded in direct exposure to crime. Instead, it may be more directly linked to social cohesion and/or perceptions of neighborhood disorder, but little is known about these associations in informal settlements. This paper sought to explore these relationships in Mathare-a large informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Using responses from surveys with 550 women in Mathare, we conducted regression, mediation, and moderated mediation analyses to investigate relationships between neighborhood disorder, fear of crime, and neighborhood cohesion and explore how these associations vary across geographic spaces (villages). Findings suggest that women's perceptions of neighborhood disorder are associated with fear of crime; neighborhood cohesion partially mediates the relationship between perceptions of neighborhood disorder and fear of crime; women's fear of crime varies by village; and the mediating role of neighborhood cohesion also varies by village. Efforts to build and strengthen social cohesion in informal settlements may help to reduce women's fear of crime, but more research is needed to explore under what conditions and in what spaces interventions are the most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Johnson
- School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lena Moraa Obara
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Gender Differences in Impacts of Place-Based Neighborhood Greening Interventions on Fear of Violence Based on a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. J Urban Health 2021; 98:812-821. [PMID: 34750735 PMCID: PMC8688630 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-021-00580-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Maintained green space in underserved urban neighborhoods may be an important environmental pathway to improving community health and safety, though effects may vary across population subgroups and by time of day. We examined survey responses from 442 participants (178 men and 264 women), living near vacant lots in a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a cleaning and greening intervention, on perceived safety during the day and at night. At the intervention sites after the intervention, only men reported feeling less unsafe during the day. Women reported more fear, and men reported less fear, after the intervention, although these results and tests for effect modification were not statistically significant. The clean-and-green intervention may have allayed fears for men during the day and supported their ease of movement throughout their neighborhoods. However, at night, it may have had the opposite effect on women. Though our study was under-powered, not designed to test associations stratified by gender, directions and magnitudes of associations differed substantially, indicating a need for further investigations into potential gender differences in the benefits of green space, to inform and better tailor interventions to improve perceived safety for all.
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Shah N, Walker IF, Naik Y, Rajan S, O'Hagan K, Black M, Cartwright C, Tillmann T, Pearce-Smith N, Stansfield J. National or population level interventions addressing the social determinants of mental health - an umbrella review. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:2118. [PMID: 34794401 PMCID: PMC8599417 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12145-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social circumstances in which people live and work impact the population’s mental health. We aimed to synthesise evidence identifying effective interventions and policies that influence the social determinants of mental health at national or scaled population level. We searched five databases (Cochrane Library, Global Health, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) between Jan 1st 2000 and July 23rd 2019 to identify systematic reviews of population-level interventions or policies addressing a recognised social determinant of mental health and collected mental health outcomes. There were no restrictions on country, sub-population or age. A narrative overview of results is provided. Quality assessment was conducted using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2). This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019140198). Results We identified 20 reviews for inclusion. Most reviews were of low or critically low quality. Primary studies were mostly observational and from higher income settings. Higher quality evidence indicates more generous welfare benefits may reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mental health outcomes. Lower quality evidence suggests unemployment insurance, warm housing interventions, neighbourhood renewal, paid parental leave, gender equality policies, community-based parenting programmes, and less restrictive migration policies are associated with improved mental health outcomes. Low quality evidence suggests restriction of access to lethal means and multi-component suicide prevention programmes are associated with reduced suicide risk. Conclusion This umbrella review has identified a small and overall low-quality evidence base for population level interventions addressing the social determinants of mental health. There are significant gaps in the evidence base for key policy areas, which limit ability of national policymakers to understand how to effectively improve population mental health. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12145-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Shah
- City University London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK.
| | - Ian F Walker
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, England
| | - Yannish Naik
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Great St George Street, Leeds, LS1 3EX, England
| | - Selina Rajan
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7H, UK
| | - Kate O'Hagan
- Public Health England, Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UG, UK
| | - Michelle Black
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent, Sheffield, S1 4DA, England
| | - Christopher Cartwright
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Duckworth Lane, Bradford, BD9 6RJ, England
| | - Taavi Tillmann
- Centre for Global Non-Communicable Disease, Institute for Global Health, UCL, 30 Guilford, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Nicola Pearce-Smith
- Public Health England, Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UG, UK
| | - Jude Stansfield
- School of Health and Community Studies, Leeds Beckett University, Portland Building, PD519, Portland Place, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK
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Lickiewicz J, Hughes PP, Sałapa K, Tychmanowicz A, Makara-Studzińska M. Perceptions of Fear, Likelihood of Victimization, and Confidence About Dangerous Situations Among University Women in Poland. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:10660-10685. [PMID: 31718384 DOI: 10.1177/0886260519888190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polish women have not been studied in regard to fear, likelihood, or confidence about dangerous situations, nor has there been an instrument to measure those perceptions. The purpose of the study was fourfold: first, to present the Polish translation and validation of the Perception of Dangerous Situations Scale (PDSS-P) and second, to assess Polish women's perceived fear, likelihood, and confidence about dangerous situations using the PDSS-P (41 items). The third purpose was to determine to what degree the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and/or the Hope for Success Scale (KNS) correlated with any of the three subscales of the PDSS-P. The fourth purpose was to determine the congruence of the PDSS-P to the original PDSS. Two other tools (GSES and KNS) were administered to determine concurrent validity with the PDSS. A sample of 208 women aged 19 to 27 years (M = 21.04, SD = 1.88) participated in the study. Five factors were determined for each subscale, similar to the original version of the PDSS. Women reported they were more afraid of being raped by a stranger than being murdered. Their estimation of the likelihood of some serious events occurring was not congruent with statistical realities. The women thought the least likely events to happen to them in the next year would be being raped or beaten by someone they know, or being held prisoner by someone who wanted to murder them. Confidence to manage dangerous situations was low in cases of being raped by strangers or known people, being kidnapped, or being attacked. The GSES and KNS provided useful information, in that they did not measure the same constructs as the PDSS-P.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kinga Sałapa
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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Moving the 2030 Agenda Ahead: Exploring the Role of Multiple Mediators toward Perceived Environment and Social Sustainability in Residential Neighbourhoods. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10101079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neighbourhood safety represents an important topic of study to illustrate the reasons behind the increases in crime and mitigate its effects in neighbourhoods. This study examines how the social and environmental features of neighbourhoods may influence the social sustainability of residents based on the assumption that the perception of safety and social cohesion mediates the effects of neighbourhood environment on social sustainability. A quantitative method was employed to collect data from residents in a low-rise residential area in Penang, Malaysia. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated the positive and significant effect of neighbourhood accessibility on perceived disorder, whilst the effect of accessibility on social cohesion was negative. Disorders may comprise social and physical disorders, and may have a negative effect on perception of safety, but not on social cohesion. The relationship between disorders and social sustainability is serially mediated by the perception of safety and social cohesion. This implies that those who perceived high disorderliness in a neighbourhood environment reported a lower level of perception of safety, social cohesion and lower levels of social sustainability. Attempts need to be made to reduce neighbourhood disorderliness to pave the way for 2030 Agenda goals implementation.
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Lee JML, Ang S, Chan A. Fear of crime is associated with loneliness among older adults in Singapore: Gender and ethnic differences. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2021; 29:1339-1348. [PMID: 32959506 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fear of crime is a complex perception and has underlying psychological, social and health repercussions. The influence of fear of crime on psychosocial outcomes, however, may be moderated by various social factors. This study examined how fear of crime influences loneliness among low-income older adults attending a Senior Activity Centre (SAC) in multiethnic Singapore. In addition, we tested whether these associations were moderated by gender and ethnicity. We analysed cross-sectional data (N = 1,266) from The SAC Study, a survey conducted with older adults who were attending a SAC between March 2015 and August 2015. Multilevel models were used to test whether fear of crime was associated with loneliness; and whether the association was moderated by gender and ethnicity. We found that fear of crime was positively associated with loneliness, and that this association was stronger among men than women, but ethnicity did not moderate this relationship. Findings from our study suggest that fear of crime may have a stronger negative effect on men's psychological well-being, even though they report lower fear of crime. This highlights the importance of sociocultural context when examining the psychosocial implications of fear of crime in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- June May-Ling Lee
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Shannon Ang
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Angelique Chan
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Health Services and Systems Research (HSSR), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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