Good neighbours don’t just make good friends – they may also reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack, according to a new study.
Current evidence suggests that the characteristics of an area in which a person lives can have a negative impact on their cardiovascular health – such as the density of fast food outlets; levels of violence, noise, and pollution; drug use; and building disrepair.
However, few studies have looked at the potential health-enhancing effects of positive local neighbourhood characteristics.
The new research tracked the cardiovascular health of more than 5,000 American adults with no known heart problems over a period of four years, starting in 2006. Their average age was 70, and almost two-thirds were women and married.
In 2006 they were asked to score on a validated seven point scale how much they felt part of their local neighbourhood; if they felt they had neighbours who would help them if they got into difficulty; whether they trusted most people in the area; and if they felt they were friendly.
Potentially influential factors – such as age, race, gender, income, marital status, educational attainment, outlook and attitude, social integration, mental health, lifestyle, weight, and underlying health issues, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, were all taken into account.
During the four year monitoring period, 148 of the 5,276 participants had a heart attack. Analysis of the figures showed that each standard deviation increase in perceived neighbourhood social cohesion was associated with a 22 per cent reduced risk of a heart attack.
The researchers said the association held true even after adjusting for relevant socio-demographic, behavioural, biological, and psycho-social factors, as well as individual-level social support.
They say their findings echo those of other studies which have found a link between well integrated local neighbourhoods and lower stroke and heart disease risk.
The researchers admitted that some potentially important risk factors – such as family history of heart disease or stroke and genetic influences – were not known.
However, they said a strong social support network of friends and family has been linked to better health, so friendly neighbourhoods might be an extension of that.
Eric Kim, of the Department of Psychology at Michigan University, said: ‘Perceived neighbourhood social cohesion could be a type of social support that is available in the neighbourhood social environment outside the realm of family and friends.’
The researchers also suggested that tight-knit local communities may help to reinforce and ‘incentivise’ certain types of cohesive behaviours and so exclude anti-social behaviours.
