Neighborhood structural differences and women's mental health: an empirical study in Accra, Ghana

This study explores the relationships between neighborhood structural differences such as socioeconomic status (SES), income inequality, and ethnic diversity on women's mental health in Accra, Ghana. The study used secondary data from the 2009 Women Health Survey Accra II, linked with the 2010 sub-metro level census figures on income inequality. The analytical sample consists of 2814 women nested within 195 enumeration areas (clusters) in the Accra Metropolitan Area (AMA). Multilevel binary logit and complimentary log-log models were used to analyze the data. Results suggest that social capital and neighborhood socioeconomic structural factors such SES, ethnic diversity, and housing ownership were associated with depressive symptoms, feeling downhearted, and self-reported health. These findings suggest that policies and programs that improve the physical and economic conditions of deprived neighborhoods, as well as civic initiatives that improve social capital and cohesion, may be important for promoting collective actions and improving health outcomes in urban settings like Accra.