Metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy): an environmental assessment tool for measuring indicators of violence, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug exposures

Eval Rev. 2010 Jun;34(3):159-84. doi: 10.1177/0193841X10368493.

Abstract

Objectives: Establish metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy).

Method: A total of 919 residential block faces were assessed by paired raters using the NIfETy. Reliability was evaluated via interrater and internal consistency reliability; validity by comparing NIfETy data with youth self-reported violence, alcohol, and other drug exposure and crime statistics.

Results: Validity and reliability metrics were moderate to exemplary for the total scale and subscales. NIfETy data correlated strongly with crime data and youth self-reported exposure.

Conclusions: The NIfETy is valid and reliable. Future investigations will explore its use in other urban centers and association to other health outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Baltimore
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Residence Characteristics*
  • Smoking*
  • Social Environment*
  • Substance-Related Disorders*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards
  • Violence*
  • Young Adult