Table 1.
Neighborhood Social Environment Survey Questions,a The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
| Domains and Items |
|---|
| Aesthetic Quality Scale Items |
| There is a lot of trash and litter on the street in my neighborhood |
| There is a lot of noise in my neighborhood |
| My neighborhood is attractive |
|
|
| Safety Scale Items |
| I feel safe walking in my neighborhood, day or night |
| Violence is not a problem in my neighborhood |
|
|
| Social Cohesion Scale Items |
| People around here are willing to help their neighbors |
| People in my neighborhood generally get along with each other |
| People in my neighborhood can be trusted |
| People in my neighborhood share the same values |
Social environment questions were from MESA participants as well as community raters from the same census tracts. MESA participants completed each scale twice (social cohesion in 2000–2002, safety and aesthetic quality in 2003–2005, all three scales in 2010–2011). Community raters completed the scales in 2004 (5,988 participants from the Maryland, New York, and North Carolina study sites) and 2011–2012 (4,212 participants from a subsample of census tracts in all 6 MESA sites). Response options were on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree). Questions were rescaled as needed so a higher score reflected a more favorable neighborhood environment.