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Individual perceptions of neighbourhood collective efficacy and associations with resource awareness and health: a cross-sectional study in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Individual perceptions of neighbourhood collective efficacy and associations with resource awareness and health: a cross-sectional study in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Fusfeld Zachary, Irene Headen, Jannetti Matthew, Gilliam Erikka, Maggie Beverley, Traister Kelley, Amy Carroll-Scott and Lê-Scherban Félice
BMJ public health, v 4(4), e004915
01 Oct 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2026-004915
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url
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2026-004915View
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Abstract

Citizen participation Community development corporations Empowerment Health services Information sharing Neighborhoods Perceptions Self-efficacy Caregivers Education Social Control
IntroductionThe social environment of neighbourhoods, including collective efficacy, has been shown to positively impact a variety of health outcomes. One potential important mechanism is via greater awareness of available health and other resources, which has implications for targeting collective efficacy in place-based interventions to improve health equity. Utilising population-based survey data from a child-focused, multisectoral place-based initiative in Philadelphia, we assessed associations between caregiver self-reported neighbourhood collective efficacy, awareness of community resources and self-rated health.MethodsWe used multiple imputation and Poisson regression with robust SEs using generalised estimating equations to examine associations between neighbourhood collective efficacy and awareness of five types of community resources, a count of resource awareness (range 0–5) and self-rated general health (excellent/very good/good vs fair/poor).ResultsMost caregivers (n=576) were women (85.6%) and black (88.1%). Adjusted regression results show significant associations between high collective efficacy (vs low) and higher awareness of specific neighbourhood resources: after-school programmes (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.17 (1.00 to 1.36)), neighbourhood associations (PR 1.75 95% CI (1.40 to 2.20)), family health services (PR 1.26 (1.07 to 1.47)), youth centres (PR 1.38 (1.17 to 1.64)) and mentoring programmes (PR 2.14 (1.54 to 2.95)). High versus low collective efficacy was also associated with awareness of a higher number of resources (PR 1.42 (1.27 to 1.60)). Collective efficacy was not associated with caregiver self-rated health.ConclusionObserved associations between caregiver collective efficacy and awareness of neighbourhood resources echo a growing body of literature implicating neighbourhood social environment as an important factor in health outcomes. Information dissemination between residents is a potentially important mechanism that is also modifiable via intervention.

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