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.