title: Predictors of trust in low-income, minority neighborhoods in Texas.
abstract: Given the importance of trust to population health, it is also important to understand individual and neighborhood predictors of trust among residents of low-income and minority communities. In this paper, we investigate predictors of trust among residents of 98 low-income and minority neighborhoods in Texas. Census data and survey data on 1,966 residents provided information on individual and neighborhood characteristics. Predictors of trust were modeled using multi-level probit models. We found that linguistic heterogeneities, but not racial/ethnic diversity nor income inequality, were associated with general trust. More detailed analyses indicated that people tend to trust people in the neighborhood more than those who belong to the same racial/ethnic group. Interventions in diverse communities should focus on increasing social integration among residents in order to reach higher levels of trust, contributing to positive health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Management, Policy, and Community Health, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler Drive, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Luisa.Franzini@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Franzini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult