Page 61 - IJPS-9-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Neighborhood social cohesion and self-reported depression

Table 3. Moderation effects of age of the relationship
between perceived social support and perceived
neighborhood safety on self‑reported depression

Age Effect SE Wald p 95% CI
LL UL
PSS
27 −0.40 0.10 −3.69 0.001 −0.61 −0.188
45 −0.13 0.071 −1.94 0.051 −0.27 0.001
65 0.122 0.82 1.42 0.155 −0.04 0.292
PNS
27 −2.72 0.67 −4.41 0.0001 −4.04 −1.40
45 −1.31 0.43 −3.01 0.002 −2.15 −0.45
65 0.11 0.586 0.19 0.84 −1.03 1.26 Figure 1. Simple slopes illustrating the moderating effects of age on the
B: Standardized coefficients; CI: Confidence interval; LL, lower limit; relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and self-reported
OR, odds ratio; PNS, perceived neighborhood safety; PSS, perceived depression.
social support; SE, standard error; UL, upper limit.

SRD (B = −1.30, SE = 0.43, p < 0.001). Likewise, at
27 years old, PNS was related to reduced likelihood of SRD
(B = -2.72, SE = 0.63, p < 0.001) showing a stronger effect
than at 45 years old. Like PNS, moderation analysis showed
an interaction between PSS and SRD (B = 0.01, p = 0.001,
OR = 1.01). Figure 2 shows that at 27 years old, lower levels
of PSS was associated with an increase likelihood of SRD
(B = -0.40, SE = 0.10, p < 0.001). Likewise, at 46 years, lower
PSS was related to increased SRD (B = -0.139, SE = 0.01,
p = 0.05), although the effect was stronger for the younger
age group. Increased PSS was not significantly related to
SRD for those 65 years old and over (B = 0.12, SE = 0.82,
p = 0.15) and for this age group, those with high PSS were
more likely to report SRD. Figure 2. Simple slopes illustrating the moderating effects of age on
the relationship between perceived social support and self-reported
4. Discussion depression.
To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the first general population studies, which tend to show that the
to explore the effects of NSC on the SRD for an established likelihood of depression reduces with age (Kessler et al.,
migrant population. By examining the moderating effect 2010). A number of studies have found that higher PSS is
of age, we provide new information on the mechanisms associated with improved mental health in younger but
influencing the well-established direct association of not older adults (e.g., Milner et al., 2016), and our research
social cohesion on health. Our findings are consistent confirms such a finding. It may be that the functional
with previous studies demonstrating that NSC can directly neighborhood supports are more important earlier in
promote reduced SRD for migrants (Zhang et al., 2021). life when migrants need support to access resources. Our
Many community-based organizations working with Irish results showed that, unlike other groups, older migrants
migrants deliver programs that aim towards NSC, and our tended to report high depression alongside high levels of
findings provide support for these as universal health- social support. Due to snowballing techniques, it may be
promoting opportunities. Our findings further showed that the sample is over-represented by older people in poor
that as risks increase, PNS (and not social support) could health who live in supported living settings or in daycare
directly affect SRD, which indicates a hierarchy of needs services and perceive high levels of social support due to
for migrants at risk. these environments.
Our results indicate that older Irish migrants have While the data comes from the largest targeted
higher rates of SRD. This is not in accordance with collection of data on the Irish community in the UK, this

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 55 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.431