Associations between Neighborhood Characteristics, Well-Being and Health Vary over the Life Course

dc.contributor.authorEibich, Peter
dc.contributor.authorKrekel, Christian
dc.contributor.authorDemuth, Ilja
dc.contributor.authorWagner, Gert G.
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-26T07:50:49Z
dc.date.available2017-10-26T07:50:49Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.descriptionDieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.de
dc.descriptionThis publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.en
dc.description.abstractBackground: Neighborhood characteristics are important determinants of individual health and well-being. For example, characteristics such as noise and pollution affect health directly, while other characteristics affect health and well-being by either providing resources (e.g. social capital in the neighborhood), which individuals can use to cope with health problems, or limiting the use thereof (e.g. crime). This also suggests that there might be age differentials in the impact of these characteristics, since individuals at different stages of life might need different resources. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on age differentials in associations between well-being, health, and neighborhood characteristics. Objective: This paper studies associations between a wide range of neighborhood characteristics with the health and well-being of residents of the greater Berlin area. In particular, we focus on differences in the effects between younger (aged 20-35) and older (aged 60+) residents. Methods: We used data from the Berlin Aging Study II (312 younger and 993 older residents of the Berlin metropolitan area in Germany). We used survey data on health and well-being, combined these with subjective perceptions of the neighborhood, and geo-referenced indicators on the neighborhood, e.g. amenities (public transport, physicians, and hospitals). Results: The results show that access to public transportation is associated with better outcomes on all measures of health and well-being, and social support is associated with higher life satisfaction and better mental health. There are considerable differences between both age groups: while the associations between access to public transport and health and well-being are similar for both age groups, neighborhood social capital shows stronger associations for older residents. However, the difference is not always statistically significant. Conclusion: Having access to services is associated with better health and well-being regardless of age. Local policy makers should focus on lowering barriers to mobility in order to improve the health and well-being of the population. Since the social capital of a neighborhood is associated with better health and well-being among older residents, investments that increase social capital (e.g. community centers) might be warranted in neighborhoods with higher shares of older residents.en
dc.description.sponsorshipBMBF, 16SV5537, Berliner Altersstudie II - BASE II - ; Teilvorhaben: Survey Methodik und Sozialwissenschaften
dc.description.sponsorshipBMBF, 16SV5536K, Berliner Altersstudie II - BASE II - ; Teilvorhaben: Innere Medizin/Geriatrieen
dc.identifier.eissn1423-0003
dc.identifier.issn0304-324X
dc.identifier.urihttps://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/7013
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-6334
dc.language.isoen
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
dc.subject.ddc610 Medizin und Gesundheit
dc.subject.otherhealthen
dc.subject.otherwell-beingen
dc.subject.otherneighborhooden
dc.subject.otherneighborhood amenitiesen
dc.subject.otherBerlin aging study IIen
dc.titleAssociations between Neighborhood Characteristics, Well-Being and Health Vary over the Life Courseen
dc.typeArticle
dc.type.versionpublishedVersion
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi10.1159/000438700
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.issue3
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitleGerontology
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishernameKarger
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublisherplaceBasel, München
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pageend370
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pagestart362
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume62
tub.accessrights.dnbdomain
tub.affiliationFak. 7 Wirtschaft und Management::Inst. Volkswirtschaftslehre und Wirtschaftsrecht (IVWR)::FG Empirische Wirtschaftsforschung und Wirtschaftspolitikde
tub.affiliation.facultyFak. 7 Wirtschaft und Managementde
tub.affiliation.groupFG Empirische Wirtschaftsforschung und Wirtschaftspolitikde
tub.affiliation.instituteInst. Volkswirtschaftslehre und Wirtschaftsrecht (IVWR)de
tub.publisher.universityorinstitutionTechnische Universität Berlin

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