Abstract
An abundance of research documents that daily negative events are linked to short- and long-term health outcomes across adulthood. One key resource that is less studied in potentially mitigating the impact of daily negative events is neighborhood context. Up to this point, much of the research has included social characteristics of neighborhood context, whereas less is known regarding economic and physical characteristics. This study explores whether and to what extent social, economic, and physical neighborhood characteristics moderate the impact of daily negative and positive events on daily well-being as measured by daily levels of positive and negative affect. We use data from a sample of participants in midlife (n = 191, ages 40–65) who completed a daily survey for 30 consecutive days. Multilevel models showed that daily negative events were associated with poorer daily well-being and daily positive events were predictive of higher daily well-being. Living in a neighborhood with more income inequality was associated with stronger declines in daily well-being on days when individuals experienced a negative event. Neighborhood greenness was associated with reporting better well-being on days when a positive event occurred. The findings suggest that the neighborhood context can strengthen or mitigate changes in daily well-being when negative and positive events occur. The discussion elaborates on how the findings can inform interventions aimed at lessening the consequences of daily negative events and elucidates future research aimed at exploring potential mechanisms underlying the associations found.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., & MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and happiness: Are Europeans and Americans different? Journal of Public Economics, 88(9), 2009–2042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2003.07.006
Almeida, D. M. (2005). Resilience and vulnerability to daily stressors assessed via diary methods. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00336.x
Almeida, D. M., Charles, S. T., Mogle, J., Drewelies, J., Aldwin, C. M., Spiro, A., III., & Gerstorf, D. (2020). Charting adult development through (historically changing) daily stress processes. American Psychologist, 75(4), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000597
Aneshensel, C. S. (2010). Neighborhood as a social context of the stress process. In W. R. Avison, C. S. Aneshensel, S. Schieman, & B. Wheaton (Eds.), Advances in the conceptualization of the stress process: Essays in honor of Leonard I. Pearlin (pp. 35–52). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1021-9_3
Augustin, T., Glass, T. A., James, B. D., & Schwartz, B. S. (2008). Neighborhood psychosocial hazards and cardiovascular disease: The baltimore memory study. American Journal of Public Health, 98(9), 1664–1670. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.125138
Bajaj, A., John-Henderson, N. A., Cundiff, J. M., Marsland, A. L., Manuck, S. B., & Kamarck, T. W. (2016). Daily social interactions, close relationships, and systemic inflammation in two samples: Healthy middle-aged and older adults. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 58, 152–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.06.004
Baltes, P. B. (1987). Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: On the dynamics between growth and decline. Developmental Psychology, 23, 611.
Barnett, I., Guell, C., & Ogilvie, D. (2013). How do couples influence each other’s physical activity behaviours in retirement? An exploratory qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 13, 1197. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-1197
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x
Beyer, K. M., Kaltenbach, A., Szabo, A., Bogar, S., Nieto, F. J., & Malecki, K. M. (2014). Exposure to neighborhood green space and mental health: evidence from the survey of the health of Wisconsin. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(3), 3453–3472. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110303453
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513
Burdette, A. M., & Hill, T. D. (2008). An examination of processes linking perceived neighborhood disorder and obesity. Social Science & Medicine, 67(1), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.03.029
Capone, V., Donizzetti, A. R., & Petrillo, G. (2018). Classroom relationships, sense of community, perceptions of justice, and collective efficacy for students’ social well-being. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(3), 374–382. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21943
Carstensen, L. L., Turan, B., Scheibe, S., Ram, N., Ersner-Hershfield, H., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Brooks, K. P., & Nesselroade, J. R. (2011). Emotional experience improves with age: Evidence based on over 10 years of experience sampling. Psychology and Aging, 26(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021285
Charles, S. T., Piazza, J. R., Mogle, J., Sliwinski, M. J., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). The wear and tear of daily stressors on mental health. Psychological Science, 24(5), 733–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612462222
Cheung, F. (2018). Income redistribution predicts greater life satisfaction across individual, national, and cultural characteristics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115(5), 867–882. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000164
Cheung, F., & Lucas, R. E. (2016). Income inequality is associated with stronger social comparison effects: The effect of relative income on life satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 110(2), 332–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000059
Choi, Y. J., & Matz-Costa, C. (2018). Perceived neighborhood safety, social cohesion, and psychological health of older adults. The Gerontologist, 58(1), 196–206. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw187
Cohen, D. A., Finch, B. K., Bower, A., & Sastry, N. (2006). Collective efficacy and obesity: The potential influence of social factors on health. Social Science & Medicine, 62(3), 769–778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.06.033
Coley, R., Kuo, M., & Sullivan, W. (1997). Where does community grow? The social context created by nature in urban public housing. Environment and Behavior, 29, 468–494. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659702900402
Cummins, S., Curtis, S., Diez-Roux, A. V., & Macintyre, S. (2007). Understanding and representing “place” in health research: A relational approach. Social Science & Medicine, 65(9), 1825–1838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.036
Cummins, S., Macintyre, S., Davidson, S., & Ellaway, A. (2005). Measuring neighbourhood social and material context: Generation and interpretation of ecological data from routine and non-routine sources. Health & Place, 11(3), 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2004.05.003
Cutrona, C. E., Wallace, G., & Wesner, K. A. (2006). Neighborhood characteristics and depression: An examination of stress processes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 188–192.
Dannefer, D. (1987). Aging as intracohort differentiation: Accentuation, the Matthew effect, and the life course. Sociological Forum, 2(2), 211–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01124164
Dannefer, D. (2003). Cumulative advantage/disadvantage and the life course: Cross-fertilizing age and social science theory. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 58(6), S327–S337. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/58.6.S327
Elliott, M. (2000). The stress process in neighborhood context. Health & Place, 6(4), 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1353-8292(00)00010-1
Ferraro, K. F., Kemp, B. R., & Williams, M. M. (2017). Diverse aging and health inequality by race and ethnicity. Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx002
Ferraro, K. F., & Shippee, T. P. (2009). Aging and cumulative inequality: How does inequality get under the skin? The Gerontologist, 49(3), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnp034
Gerstorf, D., & Ram, N. (2012). Late life. The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of adulthood and aging (pp. 49–71). Wiley-Blackwell.
Grimm, K. J., Ram, N., & Estabrook, R. (2016). Growth modeling: Structural equation and multilevel modeling approaches. Guilford Publications.
Infurna, F. J., Gerstorf, D., & Lachman, M. E. (2020). Midlife in the 2020s: Opportunities and challenges. American Psychologist, 75(4), 470–485. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000591
Infurna, F. J., Staben, O. E., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2021). Historical change in midlife health, well-being, and despair: Cross-cultural and socioeconomic comparisons. American Psychologist, 76(6), 870–887. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000817
Kemperman, A., & Timmermans, H. (2014). Environmental correlates of active travel behavior of children. Environment and Behavior, 46(5), 583–608. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916512466662
Kirsch, J. A., Love, G. D., Radler, B. T., & Ryff, C. D. (2019). Scientific imperatives vis-à-vis growing inequality in America. American Psychologist, 74(7), 764–777. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000481
Koohsari, M. J., Mavoa, S., Villanueva, K., Sugiyama, T., Badland, H., Kaczynski, A. T., Owen, N., & Giles-Corti, B. (2015). Public open space, physical activity, urban design and public health: Concepts, methods and research agenda. Health & Place, 33, 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.009
Kuo, F. E. (2001). Coping with poverty: Impacts of environment and attention in the inner city. Environment and Behavior, 33(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121972846
Lachman, M. E. (2004). Development in midlife. Annual Review of Psychology, 55(1), 305–331. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141521
Littell, R. C., Milliken, G. A., Stroup, W. W., Wolfinger, R. D., & Schabenberger, O. (2006). SAS for mixed models (p. 814). SAS Institute. Inc.
Little, R. J. A., & Rubin, D. B. (1987). Statistical analysis with missing data. Wiley.
Macintyre, S. (2007). Deprivation amplification revisited; or, is it always true that poorer places have poorer access to resources for healthy diets and physical activity? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 4(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-4-32
Mair, C., Diez Roux, A. V., & Morenoff, J. D. (2010). Neighborhood stressors and social support as predictors of depressive symptoms in the Chicago community adult health study. Health & Place, 16(5), 811–819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.04.006
Masson, T., Bamberg, S., Stricker, M., & Heidenreich, A. (2019). “We can help ourselves”: Does community resilience buffer against the negative impact of flooding on mental health? Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 19(11), 2371–2384. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-2371-2019
Matheson, F. I., Moineddin, R., Dunn, J. R., Creatore, M. I., Gozdyra, P., & Glazier, R. H. (2006). Urban neighborhoods, chronic stress, gender and depression. Social Science & Medicine, 63(10), 2604–2616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.07.001
Mein, G. K., Shipley, M. J., Hillsdon, M., Ellison, G. T. H., & Marmot, M. G. (2005). Work, retirement and physical activity: Cross-sectional analyses from the Whitehall II study. European Journal of Public Health, 15(3), 317–322. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cki087
Mroczek, D. K., Stawski, R. S., Turiano, N. A., Chan, W., Almeida, D. M., Neupert, S. D., & Spiro III, A. (2015). Emotional reactivity and mortality: Longitudinal findings from the VA Normative Aging Study. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 70(3), 398–406.
Murayama, H., Fujiwara, Y., & Kawachi, I. (2012). Social capital and health: A review of prospective multilevel studies. Journal of Epidemiology, 22(3), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20110128
Mytton, O. T., Townsend, N., Rutter, H., & Foster, C. (2012). Green space and physical activity: An observational study using Health Survey for England data. Health & Place, 18(5), 1034–1041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.06.003
O’Rand, A. M. (1996). The precious and the precocious: Understanding cumulative disadvantage and cumulative advantage over the life course. The Gerontologist, 36(2), 230–238. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/36.2.230
Okvat, H. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2011). Community gardening: A parsimonious path to individual, community, and environmental resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology, 47(3–4), 374–387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z
Pearlin, L. I. (1999). Stress and mental health: A conceptual overview. A handbook for the study of mental health: Social contexts, theories, and systems (pp. 161–175). Cambridge University Press.
Perkins, D. D., & Taylor, R. B. (1996). Ecological assessments of community disorder: Their relationship to fear of crime and theoretical implications. American Journal of Community Psychology, 24(1), 63–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02511883
Piazza, J. R., Charles, S. T., Sliwinski, M. J., Mogle, J., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). Affective reactivity to daily stressors and long-term risk of reporting a chronic physical health condition. Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 45(1), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9423-0
Pickett, K. E., James, O. W., & Wilkinson, R. G. (2006). Income inequality and the prevalence of mental illness: a preliminary international analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60(7), 646–647. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.046631
Pickett, K. E., & Pearl, M. (2001). Multilevel analyses of neighbourhood socioeconomic context and health outcomes: A critical review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 55(2), 111–122.
Portes, A., & Landolt, P. (2000). Social capital: Promise and pitfalls of its role in development. Journal of Latin American Studies, 32(2), 529–547. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022216X00005836
Putnam, R. D., Leonardi, R., & Nanetti, R. Y. (1992). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton University Press.
Reyes-Riveros, R., Altamirano, A., De La Barrera, F., Rozas-Vásquez, D., Vieli, L., & Meli, P. (2021). Linking public urban green spaces and human well-being: A systematic review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 61, 127105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127105
Riva, M., Gauvin, L., & Barnett, T. A. (2007). Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: A synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 61(10), 853–861. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.050740
Robinette, J. W., Charles, S. T., & Gruenewald, T. L. (2016). Vigilance at home: Longitudinal analyses of neighborhood safety perceptions and health. SSM-Population Health, 2, 525–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.06.004
Robinette, J. W., Charles, S. T., Mogle, J. A., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). Neighborhood cohesion and daily well-being: Results from a diary study. Social Science & Medicine, 96, 174–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.07.027
Robinette, J. W., Piazza, J. R., & Stawski, R. S. (2021). Neighborhood safety concerns and daily well-being: A national diary study. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 2, 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2021.100047
Robinson, J. B., Lawton, B. A., Taylor, R. B., & Perkins, D. D. (2003). Multilevel longitudinal impacts of incivilities: Fear of crime, expected safety, and block satisfaction. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 19(3), 237–274.
Ross, C. E. (2000). Walking, exercising, and smoking: Does neighborhood matter? Social Science & Medicine, 51(2), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00451-7
Ross, C. E., & Mirowsky, J. (2001). Neighborhood disadvantage, disorder, and health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42(3), 258–276. https://doi.org/10.2307/3090214
Rothenbuhler, E. W., Mullen, L. J., DeLaurell, R., & Ryu, C. R. (1996). Communication, community attachment, and involvement. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 73(2), 445–466. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769909607300214
Roux, A. V. D., & Mair, C. (2010). Neighborhoods and health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186(1), 125–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05333.x
Sampson, R. J., Raudenbush, S. W., & Earls, F. (1997). Neighborhoods and violent crime: A multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science, 277(5328), 918–924. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5328.918
Santos, S. M., Chor, D., Werneck, G. L., & Coutinho, E. S. F. (2007). Association between contextual factors and self-rated health: A systematic review of multilevel studies. Cadernos De Saúde Pública, 23(11), 2533–2554. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2007001100002
Scott, S. B., Munoz, E., Mogle, J. A., Gamaldo, A. A., Smyth, J. M., Almeida, D. M., & Sliwinski, M. J. (2018). Perceived neighborhood characteristics predict severity and emotional response to daily stressors. Social Science & Medicine, 200, 262–270.
Shannon, M. M., Clougherty, J. E., McCarthy, C., Elovitz, M. A., Nguemeni Tiako, M. J., Melly, S. J., & Burris, H. H. (2020). Neighborhood violent crime and perceived stress in pregnancy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155585
Sin, N. L., Graham-Engeland, J. E., & Almeida, D. M. (2015). Daily positive events and inflammation: Findings from the national study of daily experiences. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2014.07.015
Sin, N. L., Ong, A. D., Stawski, R. S., & Almeida, D. M. (2017). Daily positive events and diurnal cortisol rhythms: Examination of between-person differences and within-person variation. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 83, 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.001
Skrabski, Á., Kopp, M., & Kawachi, I. (2004). Social capital and collective efficacy in Hungary: Cross sectional associations with middle aged female and male mortality rates. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 58(4), 340–345. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2003.010017
Smith, E. P., Osgood, D. W., Caldwell, L., Hynes, K., & Perkins, D. F. (2013). Measuring collective efficacy among children in community-based afterschool programs: Exploring pathways toward prevention and positive youth development. American Journal of Community Psychology, 52(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-013-9574-6
Staben, O. E., Infurna, F. J., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2022). Examining racial disparities in historical change of mental and physical health across midlife and old age in the United States. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 77(11), 1978–1989.
Stimson, R. J., Stough, R. R., & Roberts, B. H. (2006). Regional economic development: Analysis and planning strategy. Springer Science & Business Media.
Sullivan, W. C., Kuo, F. E., & DePooter, S. F. (2004). The fruit of urban nature: Vital neighborhood spaces. Environment and Behavior, 36, 678–700. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X04264945
Syropoulos, S. (2022). The association of urban environment quality and perceived safety: Evidence from seven nationally representative samples. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000647
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024a). Employment status for block groups, 2006-2010. Census.Gov. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/labor-force/acs-employ.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024b). Income inequality. Census.Gov. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/income-inequality.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024c). Series IA: Renter occupied housing units by rent regulation status. Census.Gov. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/nychvs/series-1a.html
van den Berg, A. E., Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., & Groenewegen, P. P. (2010). Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health. Social Science & Medicine, 70(8), 1203–1210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.01.002
van der Linden, J., Drukker, M., Gunther, N., Feron, F., & van Os, J. (2003). Children’s mental health serviceuse, neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation, and socialcapital. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38(9), 507–514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-003-0665-9
Vyncke, V., De Clercq, B., Stevens, V., Costongs, C., Barbareschi, G., Jónsson, S. H., Curvo, S. D., Kebza, V., Currie, C., & Maes, L. (2013). Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents? A literature review. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-65
Wahl, H.-W., & Gerstorf, D. (2018). A conceptual framework for studying COntext Dynamics in Aging (CODA). Developmental Review, 50(Part B), 155–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.09.003
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063
Weden, M. M., Carpiano, R. M., & Robert, S. A. (2008). Subjective and objective neighborhood characteristics and adult health. Social Science & Medicine, 66(6), 1256–1270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.11.041
Wells, N. M., & Evans, G. W. (2003). Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35(3), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503035003001
Wen, M., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2006). Objective and perceived neighborhood environment, individual SES and psychosocial factors, and self-rated health: An analysis of older adults in Cook County, Illinois. Social Science & Medicine, 63(10), 2575–2590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.06.025
Zautra, A. J., Hall, J. S., & Murray, K. E. (2008). Resilience: A new integrative approach to health and mental health research. Health Psychology Review, 2(1), 41–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437190802298568
Zautra, A. J., Johnson, L. M., & Davis, M. C. (2005). Positive affect as a source of resilience for women in chronic pain. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(2), 212–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.2.212
Acknowledgements
Frank J. Infurna equally contributed to methodology and served as a supporting role for writing review and editing. Kate E. Murray contributed equally to writing, reviewing, and editing. John S. Hall contributed equally to methodology and served in a supporting role for writing, reviewing, and editing.
Funding
The work was funded by the National Institute on Aging R01 AG26006. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors who are listed above certify that there are no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interests in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Staben, O.E., Infurna, F.J., Murray, K.E. et al. Evaluating the Connection Between the Neighborhood Context with Daily Negative and Positive Events and Well-Being. J Adult Dev (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-024-09479-6
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-024-09479-6