Neighborhood environmental conditions and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A network analysis in Hong Kong adults

Neighborhood environmental conditions (NEC) refer to various environmental factors that are associated with individuals’ well-being (WB). Most existing studies, however, did not account for the complex interdependence among various NEC components in their effects on WB. This study aimed to use a network approach to examine the associations between NEC and WB during the COVID-19 pandemic. A population-wide survey recruited 2,170 community adults via stratified random sampling in Hong Kong (mean age = 45.0 years, SD = 14.9, 44.2 % male) between December 2021 and April 2022. The participants completed measures on Satisfaction with Life Scale, NEC, WB, and demographic characteristics. Network analysis was conducted using Gaussian graphical models in R to identify the central nodes of NEC and associations between NEC and WB nodes in the network. All network models showed adequate levels of stability. ‘Pedestrian facilities’ and ‘Leisure and cultural facilities’ were the central nodes in the NEC cluster. Nodes in the NEC cluster showed 11 bridge edges with the WB nodes. Public hygiene was positively linked to environmental WB and life satisfaction; air quality was positively linked to life satisfaction; and public transport convenience and family friendliness were positively linked to family WB. There were significant differences in the network structure across urbanicity but not gender and age groups. The present study utilized the network approach to elucidate the central NEC nodes and the bridge associations between NEC and WB during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings have practical implications for improving population health in future environmental health research.