MPC Member Publications

This database contains a listing of population studies publications written by MPC Members. Anyone can add a publication by an MPC student, faculty, or staff member to this database; new citations will be reviewed and approved by MPC administrators.

Full Citation

Title: ‘My neighbourhood is fuzzy, not hard and fast’: Individual and contextual associations with perceived residential neighbourhood boundaries among ageing Americans

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2023

ISSN: 1360063X

DOI: 10.1177/00420980221089582

PMID: 37636583

Abstract: Neighbourhoods are fluid social and spatial constructs that vary by person and place. How do residential neighbourhoods shift as people age? This mixed-methods study investigates how perceived neighbourhood boundaries and size vary by individual and contextual characteristics. Semi-structured interviews with 125 adults aged 55–92 years living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggested that neighbourhood boundaries are ‘fuzzy’. Qualitative thematic analysis identified duration of residence and housing stability, race, life-space mobility, social capital, sense of safety, and the built and social environment as key neighbourhood determinants. This informed quantitative analyses among 7811 respondents (mean age 72) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study who self-reported how many blocks composed their neighbourhoods. We tested individual and contextual factors identified in the qualitative results as related to perceived neighbourhood size. Three-level gamma regression models showed that being older, white, less educated, lower income, less physically and cognitively healthy, less active, less socially supported, and feeling unsafe were significantly associated with smaller self-reported neighbourhood sizes. Further, living in less racially diverse, less dense, and less affluent areas were significantly associated with smaller neighbourhoods. The mixed-methods findings deepen understanding of scale in neighbourhood-based research, inform urban planning interventions, and help understand what ‘neighbourhood’ means among diverse ageing Americans.

Url: /pmc/articles/PMC10449103/

Url: /pmc/articles/PMC10449103/?report=abstract

Url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10449103/

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Finlay, Jessica; Jang, Joy; Esposito, Michael; McClure, Leslie; Judd, Suzanne; Clarke, Philippa

Periodical (Full): Urban studies (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Issue: 1

Volume: 60

Pages: 85

Countries:

IPUMS NHGIS NAPP IHIS ATUS Terrapop