Associations between neighbourhood social cohesion and subjective well-being in two different informal settlement types in Delhi, India: a quantitative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the relationships between neighbourhood cohesion and subjective well-being (SWB) in two different informal settlement types.Design Cross-sectional analysis of a community-based survey.Setting Communities in two districts, Sanjay Colony, Okhla Phase II and Bhalswa in Delhi, India.Participants 328 residents in Bhalswa and 311 from Sanjay Colony.Measurements Neighbourhood social cohesion scale measured on an 18-point scale and the SWB scale made up of four subjective measures—hedonic, eudaemonic, evaluative and freedom of choice. Sociodemographic characteristics and trust were used as covariates.Results In both neighbourhood types there was a statistically significant positive bivariate correlation between neighbourhood cohesion and SWB (Sanjay: r=0.145, p<0.05; Bhalswa: r=0.264, p<0.01). Trust and neighbourhood cohesion were strongly correlated (Sanjay: r=0.618, p<0.01; Bhalswa: r=0.533, p<0.01) and the longer the resident had lived in the community the greater the feeling of neighbourhood cohesion (Sanjay: r=0.157, p<0.01; Bhalswa: r=0.171, p<0.05). Only in the resettlement colony (Bhalswa) was SWB negatively correlated with length of residency (r=−0.117, p<0.05). Residents who chose their settlement type (Sanjay residents) were 22.5 percentage points (pp) more likely to have a feeling of belonging to their neighbourhood than residents that had been resettled (Bhalswa) (Cohen’s d effect size 0.45). Sanjay residents had a greater likelihood to feel more satisfied with life (4.8 pp, p<0.01) and having greater perceived freedom of choice (4.8 pp, p<0.01).Conclusions Our findings contribute to the general knowledge about neighbourhood cohesion and SWB within different informal settlement types in a mega-city such as New Delhi, India. Interventions that promote sense of belonging, satisfaction with life and freedom of choice have the potential to significantly improve people’s well-being.