The Association between Neighbourhood Social Capital and Adolescent Self-reported Wellbeing: A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

The association between neighbourhood social capital and individual health or wellbeing has been explored mainly by focussing on adult outcomes. The aim of this research is to assess the relationship between neighbourhood social capital and adolescent subjective wellbeing in New Zealand, and its interaction with adolescents’ socioeconomic status. Data is taken from a random sample of 9107 students who participated in a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Students’ wellbeing is measured by questions on general mood, life satisfaction and WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Neighbourhood social capital is assessed according to five indicators: neighbourhood social cohesion, facilities, physical disorders, membership in community organisations, and residential stability. All neighbourhood measures are created based on students’ responses aggregated to the neighbourhood level. Neighbourhood is defined as a Census Area Unit, with a median population of 2000 people. Analyses included only neighbourhoods with more than 10 students, and were conducted using cross-classified random intercept multilevel models controlling for students’ age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, with both schools and neighbourhoods treated as random effects. A total of 5567 students lived in 262 neighbourhoods with an average self-reported wellbeing score of 3.67 (SE=0.02, range = 0-5). Students living in neighbourhoods characterised by higher levels of social cohesion (b*=0.18, SE=0.055, p=0.0015) and membership in community organisations (b*=0.14, SE=0.055, p=0.0116) reported higher levels of wellbeing. The association between student self-reported wellbeing and neighbourhood membership in community organisations varied according to the individual socioeconomic status of students, with neighbourhood membership showing a stronger protective effect for students who are more socioeconomically disadvantaged (p = 0.06). Neighbourhoods with a high level of social cohesion, or youth membership in community organisations, are significantly associated with increased adolescent wellbeing.