Neighborhood structural characteristics, perceived neighborhood environment, and problem behaviors among at-risk adolescents

Abstract

Neighborhood environment has been linked to behavioral outcomes in adolescence. The current study examined two potential mediators (i.e., perceived social capital, perceived neighborhood disorder) in the association between neighborhood structural characteristics (i.e., neighborhood disorganization) and problem behaviors (i.e., externalizing behavior, substance use) among at-risk adolescents with prenatal substance exposure. The study sample included 350 15-year-old adolescents recruited at birth. Adolescents' addresses were linked to census tract data. Neighborhood structural characteristics were not directly associated with adolescent problem behaviors in the presence of perceived social capital and neighborhood disorder. Greater neighborhood disorganization was associated with lower levels of perceived social capital, which was related to greater perceived neighborhood disorder, and then problem behaviors. The findings suggest that community practice needs to focus on subjective perceptions of neighborhoods when developing intervention programs on problem behaviors among at-risk adolescents.