Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Fall 12-3-2025

Faculty Advisor(s)

Dr. Jennifer Robinette

Abstract

Perceived neighborhood disorder has been linked to poor well-being. In the United States, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to live in disordered neighborhoods than non-Hispanic White residents. However, it is unclear whether this exposure changes the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning. Racial/ethnic minorities may draw upon sources of resilience (e.g., religiosity/spirituality), protecting them from neighborhood disorder. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the present study examined perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning (i.e., life satisfaction, anxiety, perceived stress, and loneliness) to test the following hypotheses: (1) higher perceived neighborhood disorder will relate to worse psychosocial functioning, (2) this relationship will be stronger for non-Hispanic White participants (n = 5,020) compared to non-Hispanic Black (n = 1,421) and Hispanic (n = 1, 051) participants, and (3) religiosity/spirituality would explain any significant racial/ethnic differences in the disorder-psychosocial outcome links. Results associated higher perceived neighborhood disorder to lower life satisfaction, and higher anxiety, perceived stress, and loneliness. Furthermore, perceived neighborhood disorder was a greater risk factor for low life satisfaction among non-Hispanic White participants compared to both racial/ethnic minority groups, and for high perceived stress and loneliness relative to non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic participants, respectively. No significant racial/ethnic differences in the disorder-anxiety link were observed. Religiosity/spirituality did not explain these racial/ethnic differences. Racial/ethnic minorities living in disordered neighborhoods may utilize other forms of resilience which protect psychosocial functioning. Future research should identify resiliency sources which protect against perceived neighborhood disorder and increase accessibility to such sources for residents.

Comments

Presented at the Fall 2025 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

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