The Role of Neighborhoods in Shaping the Aging Experience During Times of Crisis

Validation of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) and its association with self-rated health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico

Social isolation is a well-established determinant of late-life well-being, and it may be particularly relevant for older adults in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. The abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) is a widely used measure of social isolation, but it has not been validated with Spanish-speaking older adults. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language LSNS-6 and (2) examine its association with self-rated health (SRH) and psychological sense of community (PSOC). Data came from face-to-face survey interviews with a nonprobability sample of 154 community-dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico 2 years after Hurricane María. We assessed the LSNS-6's internal consistency reliability and convergent validity. We then conducted structural equational modelling consisting of (1) a measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis to test the factor structure of the LSNS-6 and (2) a structural model using path analysis to examine the direct effect of social isolation on SRH and to test the role of PSOC as a mediator in this relationship. The LSNS-6 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability (α = 0.74) and convergent validity, r(151) = -0.33, p < 0.001. A correlated two-factor model (Family and Friends) provided the best fit (comparative fit index = 0.986, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.975, root mean square error of approximation = 0.082, standardised root mean squared residual = 0.033). Path model results show the Friends factor was negatively associated with SRH (β = -0.31, p = 0.045), whilst the Family factor was nonsignificant. The Friends factor had a statistically significant indirect effect on SRH through PSOC (β = 0.08, 95% CI [0.01, 0.29]). Our findings provide insight into the effect of social isolation on health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico and highlight the potential role of PSOC for assessment and intervention with older adults in post-disaster settings.

Wealth, health, and beyond: Is COVID-19 less likely to spread in rich neighborhoods?

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly spread across the world. The traditional understanding of the relationship between wealth and the spread of contagious diseases is that similar to many precedent epidemics, the pandemic spread easily in poor neighborhoods in many countries. The environmental and socioeconomic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are still poorly understood, thus this paper examines the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and the spread of the pandemic through a case study of Shenzhen, a Chinese megacity with many low-income rural migrants. The major finding is that wealthier and larger neighborhoods in Shenzhen were more likely to be infected in the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. This spread pattern is likely to result from China’s strict control to prevent the pandemic, human mobility, and demographic characteristics such as income. This finding reveals a new phenomenon that contrasts with the traditional understanding of the influence of wealth on the spread of epidemics. This paper enriches the understanding of the role of neighborhoods in the spread of the pandemic, and it has important public policy implications.

Temporary destudentification caused by COVID-19: Motivations and effects on social relations in a Chilean university city

The arrival of the coronavirus in 2020 brought major changes to education, with the rapid transition to online classes being the most significant. In the case of university students, the pandemic meant returning to their homes, which can be interpreted as a temporary destudentification. This manuscript analyses and interprets the motivations of university students from Temuco (Chile) to change their social relations and place of residence as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a quantitative methodology that used more than 800 online surveys and a principal component analysis, it was concluded that the psychological well-being and the security provided by the family were the main causes for changing accommodation; but a total of four main components related to material conditions, economic aspects, family and psychological and physical well-being were identified. Similarly, although with the pandemic the family was the most reinforced dimension in terms of social relations, there were groups of students who were more connected to friends and colleagues or neighbours. The results point to a partial and temporary destudentification, explainable by the nature of the lease contract and the dependent role of the students with respect to the landlords.