Neighbors and community: how neighborhood cohesion is linked to heart health
Social ConnectionKey points
- Higher neighborhood cohesion: 17% lower heart attack risk.
- Trust, mutual help and belonging matter.
- Community affects activity, safety, stress and support.
- You can build connections starting small.
What the research shows
In the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, researchers followed 5,276 adults over 50 without a history of heart disease for 4 years. Each standard-deviation increase in perceived neighborhood social cohesion was linked to a 17% lower risk of heart attack, after adjusting for demographic, behavioral, biological and psychosocial factors (Kim et al., 2014).
Social relationships are linked to longer life (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010), and volunteering is linked to better well-being (Jenkinson et al., 2013).
How to strengthen your community
- Introduce yourself to neighbors.
- Join or start a neighborhood group or social media group.
- Attend block parties, farmers markets and local events.
- Volunteer locally.
- Check on neighbors during heat waves, storms and outages.
Frequently asked questions
How was cohesion measured?
Participants rated statements like "people around here are willing to help their neighbors" and "people in this neighborhood can be trusted".
What if I just moved?
Introduce yourself, join a local group or attend community events; small steps add up.
Sources
- Kim et al. (2014). Perceived neighbourhood social cohesion and myocardial infarction. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 68(11):1020-1026. doi:10.1136/jech-2014-204009
- Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLoS Medicine 7(7):e1000316. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
- Jenkinson et al. (2013). Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health 13(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-773
Keep reading
Gratitude in relationships: small things that strengthen a couple
What a daily diary study of couples found about gratitude and relationship satisfaction, and simple ways to show appreciation every day.
Social ConnectionHow to ask for help: we underestimate how willing others are
What experiments found about how much we underestimate people’s willingness to help, why direct requests work better and how to ask.
Social ConnectionPositive childhood experiences: how they protect adult mental health
What a study of 6,000 adults found about positive childhood experiences, depression and relationships, and what parents and other adults can do.
Related topics from other pillars
Stress Music and stress: what meta-analyses show
What a meta-analysis of more than 100 studies found about music, psychological stress, heart rate and cortisol, and how to use music to unwind.
StressSocial support as a buffer against stress
What the classic stress-buffering hypothesis says, how perceived support protects health and why asking for help is a skill.
Social Connection tools
Three-item loneliness scale (UCLA-3)
Three questions used in major U.S. studies of loneliness.
QuizDe Jong Gierveld loneliness scale (6 items)
Measures emotional and social loneliness.
QuizOslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3)
Three questions about who you can count on.
PDF · WorksheetMy connections map
A worksheet for mapping your social network and planning contact.
PDF · Tracker"One get-together a week" tracker
A monthly tracker of social contact.
PDF · CardsFamily dinner conversation cards
24 questions for phone-free conversation at the table.