Location, location, location: the role of objective neighborhood characteristics for perceptions of control

Drewelies, Johanna, Eibich, Peter, Düzel, Sandra, Kühn, Simone, Krekel, Christian, Goebel, Jan, Kolbe, Jens, Demuth, Ilja, Lindenberger, Ulman, Wagner, Gert G. and Gerstorf, Denis (2022) Location, location, location: the role of objective neighborhood characteristics for perceptions of control. Gerontology, 68 (2). 214 - 223. ISSN 0304-324X

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Abstract

Introduction: Control beliefs can protect against age-related declines in functioning. It is unclear whether neighborhood characteristics shape how much control people perceive over their life. This article studies associations of neighborhood characteristics with control beliefs of residents of a diverse metropolitan area (Berlin, Germany). Methods: We combine self-report data about perceptions of control obtained from participants in the Berlin Aging Study II (N = 507, 60-87 years, 51% women) with multisource geo-referenced indicators of neighborhood characteristics using linear regression models. Results: Findings indicate that objective neighborhood characteristics (i.e., unemployment rate) are indeed tied to perceptions of control, in particular, how much control participants feel others have over their lives. Including neighborhood characteristics in part doubled the amount of explained variance compared with a reference model covarying for demographic characteristics only (from R2 = 0.017 to R2 = 0.030 for internal control beliefs; R2 = 0.056 to R2 = 0.102 for external control beliefs in chance; R2 = 0.006 to R2 = 0.030 for external control beliefs in powerful others). Discussion/Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of access to neighborhood resources for control beliefs across old age and can inform interventions to build up neighborhood characteristics which might be especially helpful in residential areas with high unemployment.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://karger.com/ger
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Psychological and Behavioural Science
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2022 11:18
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2024 17:03
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/114302

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