Resident-reported measurements of neighborhood characteristics: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose Because of the growing emphasis on place-based interventions to improve health, we sought to identify commonly measured, resident-reported neighborhood characteristics for use in evaluation studies. Methods A review was conducted of resident-reported neighborhood indicators in 27 published PubMed articles and eight non-academic gray literature sources. Neighborhood domains and items were evaluated across the literature to identify patterns in resident reporting on neighborhoods. Results A diverse range of survey items across reviewed literature comprised the following broad domains: physical conditions, social conditions, community resources, social agency, and neighborhood dynamics. Academic and gray literature varied in their assessments’ focus and the populations considered, with gray literature exploring a wider array of persons, such as those with disability, and positive aspects of neighborhoods. In general, there was a lack of a cohesive framework for measuring neighborhood well-being and no clear agreement on appropriate language and key definitions. Measures relevant to the elderly were largely absent from the US literature. Conclusions Most published articles on neighborhood measurement were derived from the criminology and sociology literature on the origins of violence and poverty. Their measures reflected this negative orientation. Gray literature included a broader perspective on neighborhoods and consideration of alternative populations such as the elderly and people with disability. This review’s identification of common metrics in neighborhood domains paves the way for building consolidated and standardized neighborhood measurement tools that will also fill current gaps in the literature, such as those concerning elderly residents or those with disabilities.