Sources of stress in impoverished neighbourhoods: insights into links between neighbourhood environments and health.
OBJECTIVE
This paper explores associations between residents' perceptions of social incivilities and physical disorders in local environments and self-reported health status.


METHODS
Surveys were conducted with 4,029 residents from 13 Neighbourhood Renewal sites and 1,857 residents of corresponding Local Government Areas in Victoria. An open-ended question asked respondents to nominate the worst things about living in their neighbourhood and this qualitative data was analysed for the range of perceptions of incivilities. Quantitative data analysis considered associations between incivilities in neighbourhood environments and self-reported health status.


RESULTS
Issues conceptualised as social incivilities (drug and alcohol use, dangerous driving, the behaviour of other people, feeling unsafe, noise, racism) accounted for 58% of issues nominated. Quantitative analyses suggested that increased exposure to issues related to aspects of neighbourhood safety were associated with living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood. Perceptions of lower levels of neighbourhood safety were, in turn, associated with poorer health.


CONCLUSIONS
Cumulative and compounding aspects of local environments that heighten feelings of insecurity and anxiety may be mechanisms through which places affect health.


CONCLUSIONS
While the characteristics of populations are important determinants of health outcomes, the findings endorse the value of incorporating complementary place-based approaches for addressing mechanisms that contribute to health inequalities in local environments.
Warr
Deborah
D
Vic Health Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. djwarr@unimelb.edu.au
Feldman
Peter
P
Tacticos
Theonie
T
Kelaher
Margaret
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012449:Safety; D012931:Social Environment; D012940:Social Problems / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D055815:Young Adult