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Construction and Validation of an Observational Scale of Neighborhood Characteristics

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Abstract

This paper reports the development and validation of the Neighborhood Observation Scale, a 41 item measure of neighborhood physical appearance, social appearance, safety, and amenities. Three independent ratings were collected on each of 244 neighborhoods in 132 census block groups in five South Carolina counties, for a total of 732 observations. Inter-rater reliability analysis showed 92.6% agreement among at least two raters and an intraclass correlation of .54, indicating acceptable reliability. Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight factors for neighborhood physical appearance, school/park/public space physical appearance, neighborhood social appearance, indicated social engagement, observed social engagement, park/public space social engagement, resident watchfulness, and neighborhood safety risk. A follow-up confirmatory factor analysis supported the eight factor structure. Reliability analysis produced alpha coefficients ranging from .55 to .94 for the eight factors, indicating reliability for use as sub-scales. Convergent validity was determined by generally acceptable correlations of the factor sub-scales with measures of neighborhood distress, rates of child maltreatment and ICD-9-CM coded child injuries, and resident perceptions of neighboring, collective efficacy, reciprocal helping, and children’s safety in the home. Implications for research and policy and program development are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by a grant from The Duke Endowment. The authors wish to thank Kara Argus, Majdouline Aziz, Megan Hoffman, Thad Hollis, Sean Kelly, Amy Kracker, Ashley LeRoy, Erica Mabry, Shirley McNabb, Jennifer Meeks, Melissa Putney, Barbara Rizzo, Janine Sutter, and Tamara Webb for their assistance with data collection.

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  1. Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., McAlister Square, Suite B11, Greenville, SC, 29607, USA

    James R. McDonell & Tracy J. Waters

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  1. James R. McDonell
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  2. Tracy J. Waters
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Correspondence to James R. McDonell.

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McDonell, J.R., Waters, T.J. Construction and Validation of an Observational Scale of Neighborhood Characteristics. Soc Indic Res 104, 439–457 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9755-8

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