title: Childhood neighbourhoods as third places: Developing durable skills and preferences that enhance wellbeing in adulthood.
abstract: Study purpose The social environment is an important new area in neighbourhoods and health research that complements existing research on the built environment and household characteristics. Through a narrative analysis of the life-stories of 16 women we explored the influence of the neighbourhood social environment on social wellbeing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In order for adults to capitalise on local health-enhancing social opportunities they require particular social skills and preferences. We found one way the attainment of those skills and preferences comes about is through the experience of the childhood neighbourhood as a third place, with preferences and practices being carried forward to adulthood, influencing wellbeing through different modes of neighbourly engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experience of the childhood neighbourhood as a third place provided the opportunity for establishing a durable, taken-for-granted template of how to do 'neighbourhood'. Without such a template, the benefits to well-being associated with local social connections are difficult to access in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Wellington, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, 23a Mein Street, Newtown, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242, New Zealand. Electronic address: carolyn.hooper@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Carolyn May
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Wellington, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, 23a Mein Street, Newtown, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242, New Zealand. Electronic address: vivienne.ivory@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Vivienne Chisholm
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Ivory
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Wellington, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, 23a Mein Street, Newtown, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242, New Zealand. Electronic address: geoff.fougere@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fougere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012933:Social Identification; D066107:Social Skills; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Life-story; Narrative; Neighborhood; Social wellbeing; Third places