Association of Neighborhood Social Capital With Quality of Life Among Older People in Singapore

Objective: To examine how neighborhood-based cognitive and structural social capital are associated with individual quality of life among a sample of community-dwelling older adults in Singapore. Method: Using survey data from 981 older adults (aged 55 years and above) in nine residential neighborhoods, multilevel models simultaneously estimated the effects of independent variables at the individual and neighborhood levels on quality of life (CASP-12). Results: Social cohesion (β = 1.39, p < .01) and associational membership (β = 19.16, p < .01) were associated with higher quality of life in models adjusted for neighborhood facilities and individual sociodemographics, social networks, functional limitations, global cognitive status, and medical conditions. Discussion: The results suggest that place-based or neighborhood social capital may be important for older person’s well-being. It identifies the contribution of structural (associational membership) and cognitive (social cohesion) social capital to the well-being of community-dwelling older adults in Singapore.