The association between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety: a cross-sectional survey study among social housing residents in Denmark

Abstract

Background Social integration and perceived neighborhood environment are recognized as important social determinants of health. However, little is known about the association between social integration and perceived neighborhood environment among underrepresented population groups, such as residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in public health research. The aim of this study is to: 1) Describe the levels of social integration and 2) Investigate the association between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety among middle-aged and older social housing residents. Methods A multilingual face-to-face interviewer-administrated survey questionnaire was conducted among 206 residents aged 45 years and above (response rate: 34.1%) of various nationalities in disadvantaged socioeconomic positions in a social housing area in Denmark. The assessment of social integration was based on cohabitation status, frequency of face-to-face and non-face-to-face interaction with social relations and participation in local association activities. Neighborhood dissatisfaction measured the level of dissatisfaction with the neighborhood, and neighborhood unsafety assessed the level of unsafety being outdoors in the neighborhood. Descriptive statistics were conducted to illustrate respondent characteristics and the distribution of social integration among the study population. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze associations between social integration and neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety, adjusted for age, sex, country of origin, educational attainment and employment status. Results In total, 23.8% of the respondents reported low levels of social integration. A medium level of social integration was associated with higher odds of neighborhood dissatisfaction (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.04–5.38) compared to the highest level of integration. A low frequency of face-to-face interaction was associated with higher odds of neighborhood dissatisfaction (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.16–6.06) and neighborhood unsafety (OR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.04–5.57) compared to the highest frequency of face-to-face interaction. Conclusions Almost one-fourth of respondents reported low levels of social integration. A medium level of social integration was associated with neighborhood dissatisfaction. A low frequency of face-to-face interaction was associated with neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety. The results suggest that targeted health promotion interventions designed to foster face-to-face interaction, hold potential to reduce neighborhood dissatisfaction and unsafety among residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Aboriginal controlled social housing

“…This response rate is comparable to response rates in AHV's own renter satisfaction survey which returned response rates of between, 17% and 27% in recent years [42][43][44]. Similar low response rates have been reported in research with social housing tenants internationally [45][46][47]. The low survey response rate can also be understood in the context of being conducted through repeated and lengthy COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns which added to the stressors for Aboriginal peoples living in social housing.…”

Is urban regeneration associated with antidepressants or sedative medication users: a registry-based natural experiment

“…These include stress, powerlessness, mistrust and the feeling of having been violated, among others, which are all factors that increase the risk of depression 22. Building on the mechanisms identified by Ekström and on previous research in the exposed housing area,18 23 24 this study takes a theory-based perspective to an effectiveness evaluation according to the Medical Research Council guidelines 25. By unfolding the mechanisms through which UR can affect the mental health of residents involved compared with residents in an adjacent control area, we hypothesise that prevalent and incident antidepressant or sedative medication users are somewhat similar in the two areas at baseline.…”