Physical activity-mediated associations between perceived neighborhood social environment and depressive symptoms among Jackson Heart Study participants

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the associations between perceived neighborhood social environment (PNSE) and depressive symptoms among African Americans. Furthermore, the role of physical activity (PA) as a mediator of this association has not been investigated. The twofold objectives of this study, therefore, were (1) to examine the associations between PNSE and depressive symptoms among African Americans, and (2) to test the degree to which these associations were mediated by total PA. Methods: We used baseline data from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a single-site, prospective, community-based study of African-American adults (n = 2209) recruited from Jackson, Mississippi. PNSE variables included scores for neighborhood violence (i.e., higher score = more violence), problems (higher score = more problems), and social cohesion (higher score = more cohesion). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) score. First, multilevel modeling, controlling for census tract clustering effects, was used to estimate associations between each PNSE variable and CES-D score, adjusting for covariates, including demographic, health-related, and population density. Second, validated, self-reported total PA, based on active living, sport, and home indices, was tested as the mediator. Multivariable linear regressions with bootstrapgenerated 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (BC CIs) were estimated to test for significant unstandardized indirect effects, controlling for all covariates. Results: Our participants were 64.2% female with a mean age of 52.6 (SD = 12.2) and a mean CES-D score of 10.8 (SD = 8.1). In the fully-adjusted model, neighborhood violence and problems were positively related to depressive symptoms (B = 3.59, 95%CI = 0.93, 6.26, and B = 3.06, 95%CI = 1.19, 4.93, respectively). Neighborhood violence and problems were also indirectly related to depressive symptoms via total PA (B = 0.26, 95%BC CI = 0.05, 0.55; and B = 0.15, 95%BC CI = 0.02, 0.34, respectively). Social cohesion was neither directly nor indirectly related to depressive symptoms.

Neighborhood Makes or Breaks Active Ageing? Findings from Cross-Sectional Path Analysis

“…Barber and colleagues (2016) postulated that low neighborhood cohesion may be accompanied by crime to which men were exposed [ 23 ] (p. 113). But women in these neighborhoods with low cohesion were undeterred, which makes crime a poor explanation, as per other studies [ 22 , 25 ]. In light of stark socioeconomic segregation in these study settings [ 26 ], the actual explanation may be more complex.…”

“…Specifically, communal affordance and neighborhood friendship are relevant targets for interventions. That said, neighborhood safety must first be addressed [ 22 , 25 ].…”

Neighborhood environment perceptions associate with depression levels and cardiovascular risk among middle-aged and older adults: Data from the Washington, DC cardiovascular health and needs assessment

“…Future research should examine causal pathways by which adverse neighborhood conditions promote depression and subsequent CV risk within lower income minority communities and identify opportunities for multi-level interventions. This exploratory study should be replicated in larger epidemiologic studies to explore the potential mechanisms by which neighborhood built environment and perceptions influence depression and CVD risk ( Tamura et al, 2020 ). Building upon this study, an additional study that examines specific pathways through which neighborhood built environment characteristics are related to CV risk through depression could help develop additional models around neighborhoods and mental health functioning.…”

The Perspective of Physical Education Teachers in Spain Regarding Barriers to the Practice of Physical Activity among Immigrant Children and Adolescents: A Qualitative Study

“…All interviews were held at the schools. We used researcher field notes as a secondary source of information to provide more in-depth information [ 21 ]. All interviews were conducted in Spanish.…”

“…These results are consistent with studies carried out from the parents’ perspective [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], in addition to identifying a greater difficulty for their children to participate in certain physical activities due to economic barriers [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], a greater difficulty of reconciling single-parent families, restriction of PA among children in informal contexts as a form of punishment, a lack of communication between the school and the family, the influence of the mass media [ 17 ], inadequacy of infrastructure and lack of natural environments for practice [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], excessive homework [ 15 , 16 ] and gender stereotypes and gender-related choices [ 10 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 20 ]. Moreover, Tamura et al [ 21 ] identified that social environments of violence and insecurity in the neighborhoods where children and adolescents live are associated with a decrease in the practice of PA, representing the main structural barrier. These same authors recommend improving the spaces in which PA is carried out, such as parks and other open-air venues.…”