Neighborhood ethnic density and self-rated health: Investigating the mechanisms through social capital and health behaviors

Abstract

While living with co-ethnics benefits minorities' health, the so-called ethnic density effect, little is known about the mechanisms through which neighborhood ethnic density influences self-rated health. We examine two pathways, namely neighborhood social capital and health behaviors, with a 2010 survey collected in Philadelphia (2297 blacks and 492 Hispanics). The mediation analysis indicates that (1) living with co-ethnics is beneficial to both blacks' and Hispanics' self-rated health, (2) neighborhood social capital and health behaviors mediate almost 15% of the ethnic density effect for blacks, and (3) the two mechanisms do not explain why living with co-ethnics improves Hispanics' health.

Keywords: Ethnic density; Health behaviors; Philadelphia; Self-rated health; Social capital.