The relationship of built environment to perceived social support and psychological distress in Hispanic elders: the role of "eyes on the street".
BACKGROUND
Research on contextual and neighborhood effects increasingly includes the built (physical) environment's influences on health and social well-being. A population-based study examined whether architectural features of the built environment theorized to promote observations and social interactions (e.g., porches, windows) predict Hispanic elders' psychological distress.


METHODS
Coding of built environment features of all 3,857 lots across 403 blocks in East Little Havana, Florida, and enumeration of elders in 16,000 households was followed by assessments of perceived social support and psychological distress in a representative sample of 273 low socioeconomic status (SES) Hispanic elders. Structural-equation modeling was used to assess relationships between block-level built environment features, elders' perceived social support, and psychological distress.


RESULTS
Architectural features of the front entrance such as porches that promote visibility from a building's exterior were positively associated with perceived social support. In contrast, architectural features such as window areas that promote visibility from a building's interior were negatively associated with perceived social support. Perceived social support in turn was associated with reduced psychological distress after controlling for demographics. Additionally, perceived social support mediated the relationship of built environment variables to psychological distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Architectural features that facilitate direct, in-person interactions may be beneficial for Hispanic elders' mental health.
Brown
Scott C
SC
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Center for Family Studies, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1420 NW 10th Ave., Miami, FL 33136, UISA. sbrown@med.miami.edu
Mason
Craig A
CA
Lombard
Joanna L
JL
Martinez
Frank
F
Plater-Zyberk
Elizabeth
E
Spokane
Arnold R
AR
Newman
Frederick L
FL
Pantin
Hilda
H
Szapocznik
José
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D004779:Environment Design; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D014505:Urban Population