Perceived neighborhood safety and incident mobility disability among elders: the hazards of poverty

Neighborhood social capital and achieved mobility of older adults

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate associations of neighborhood social capital and mobility of older adults.

METHOD

A community-based survey (Philadelphia, 2010) assessed mobility (Life-Space Assessment [LSA]; range = 0-104) of older adults (n = 675, census tracts = 256). Social capital was assessed for all adults interviewed from 2002-2010 (n = 13,822, census tracts = 374). Generalized estimating equations adjusted for individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics estimated mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in mobility by social capital tertiles. Interactions by self-rated health, living arrangement, and race were tested.

RESULTS

Social capital was not associated with mobility after adjustment for other neighborhood characteristics (mean difference for highest versus lowest tertile social capital = 0.79, 95% CI = [-3.3, 4.8]). We observed no significant interactions. In models stratified by race, Black participants had higher mobility in high social capital neighborhoods (mean difference = 7.4, CI = [1.0, 13.7]).

DISCUSSION

Social capital may not contribute as much as other neighborhood characteristics to mobility. Interactions between neighborhood and individual-level characteristics should be considered in research on mobility.