Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Nov;45(15):3239-48.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291715001245. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Trajectories of childhood neighbourhood cohesion and adolescent mental health: evidence from a national Canadian cohort

M Kingsbury  1 , J B Kirkbride  2 , S E McMartin  1 , M E Wickham  3 , M Weeks  1 , I Colman  1
Affiliations

Trajectories of childhood neighbourhood cohesion and adolescent mental health: evidence from a national Canadian cohort

M Kingsbury et al. Psychol Med. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to examine associations between trajectories of childhood neighbourhood social cohesion and adolescent mental health and behaviour.

Method: This study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a nationally representative sample of Canadian children. The sample included 5577 children aged 0-3 years in 1994-1995, prospectively followed until age 12-15 years. Parental perceived neighbourhood cohesion was assessed every 2 years. Latent growth class modelling was used to identify trajectories of neighbourhood cohesion. Mental health and behavioural outcomes were self-reported at age 12-15 years. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between neighbourhood cohesion trajectories and outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Five distinct trajectories were identified: 'stable low' (4.2%); 'moderate increasing' (9.1%); 'stable moderate' (68.5%); 'high falling' (8.9%); and 'stable high' (9.3%). Relative to those living in stable moderately cohesive neighbourhoods, those in stable low cohesive neighbourhoods were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety/depression [odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.90] and engage in indirect aggression (OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.07-2.45). Those with improvements in neighbourhood cohesion had significantly lower odds of hyperactivity (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.46-0.98) and indirect aggression (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.96). In contrast, those with a decline in neighbourhood cohesion had increased odds of hyperactivity (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.21-2.29). Those in highly cohesive neighbourhoods in early childhood were more likely to engage in prosocial behaviour ('high falling': OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.38-2.69; 'stable high': OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.35-2.63).

Conclusions: These results suggest that neighbourhood cohesion in childhood may have time-sensitive effects on several domains of adolescent mental health and behaviour.

Keywords: Behaviour problems; mental health; neighbourhood cohesion; social environment; youth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trajectories of neighborhood social cohesion over a 10-year follow-up period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adam EK, Chase-Lansdale PL. Home sweet home(s): parental separations, residential moves, and adjustment problems in low-income adolescent girls. Developmental Psychology. 2002;38:792–805. - PubMed
    1. Aneshensel CS, Sucoff CA. The neighborhood context of adolescent mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1996;37:293–310. - PubMed
    1. Araya R, Dunstan F, Playle R, Thomas H, Palmer S, Lewis G. Perceptions of social capital and the built environment and mental health. Social Science and Medicine. 2006;62:3072–83. - PubMed
    1. Baum F. Social capital: is it good for your health? Issues for a public health agenda. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 1999;53:195–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Boyle MH, Offord DR, Racine Y, Sanford M, Szatmari P, Fleming JE. Evaluation of the Original Ontario-Child-Health-Study Scales. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry-Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie. 1993;38:397–405. - PubMed

Publication types