title: Neighborhood attributes security and solidarity promote the well-being of community-dwelling older people in the Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the neighborhood attributes solidarity and security positively affect the well-being of community-dwelling older people in the Netherlands after accounting for individual characteristics, and to test if a higher level of security in combination with a stronger sense of neighborhood solidarity results in a higher level of well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample for the cross-sectional study consisted of 869 out of 2212 (39% response rate) independently-living older adults (aged >70 years) in 92 neighborhoods of Rotterdam. We fitted a hierarchical random-effects model to account for the structure of the study design: 869 older people (level 1) nested in 92 neighborhoods (level 2) in 10 districts (level 3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neighborhood security and solidarity among neighbors varied significantly among the 10 districts. Univariate analyses showed that education, income, neighborhood security and solidarity within neighborhoods (all P ≤ 0.001) were significantly related to the well-being of community-dwelling older people. Multilevel analyses showed neighborhood security and solidarity within neighborhoods predicted the well-being of community-dwelling older people. Furthermore, a positive interaction effect was found between neighborhood security and solidarity within neighborhoods, and well-being of community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neighborhood security and solidarity among neighbors are important for the well-being of community-dwelling older people. Furthermore, neighborhoods with high levels of perceived security in combination with stronger solidarity among neighbors are especially beneficial to the well-being of community-dwelling older people.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cramm
authors.forename: Anna P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Nieboer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012637:Security Measures; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: neighborhood characteristics; older people; security; solidarity; well-being