Assessing the Modified Neighborhood Cohesion Instrument Among African American Adolescents Living in Public Housing: An Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Objective: African American youths are disproportionately overrepresented in low-resourced segregated urban neighborhoods. Consequently, they experience greater exposure to neighborhood risks and subsequent depressive symptoms. Neighborhood cohesion represents a protective factor for youth in such environments. However, the concept remains underexplored among African American youths. This study examines the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Neighborhood Cohesion Instrument (NCI) among African American youths living in public housing. Method: Psychometric properties were assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using data from African American youths (N=235) living in public housing in Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY. Results: The exploratory factor analysis resulted in the use of a single-factor structure with two dropped items and good internal validity. Findings from the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that model fit indices were unacceptable for chi-square and RMSEA (?(2)[62;N=235]=170.19, p<.001); RMSEA=0.09, 90% CI [0.071, 0.102]) but were acceptable for SRMR and CFI (SRMR=0.06; CFI=0.91) with three error covariances. Conclusions: The modified NCI is not ideal for assessing neighborhood cohesion among African American youths. Future research should prioritize psychometric testing alongside cognitive interviewing to provide a contextualized measure of neighborhood cohesion for this population.