Predictors of Trust in Low-Income, Minority Neighborhoods in Texas

Given the importance of trust to population health, it is also important to understand individual and neighborhood predictors of trust among residents of low-income and minority communities. In this paper, we investigate predictors of trust among residents of 98 low-income and minority neighborhoods in Texas. Census data and survey data on 1,966 residents provided information on individual and neighborhood characteristics. Predictors of trust were modeled using multi-level probit models. We found that linguistic heterogeneities, but not racial/ethnic diversity nor income inequality, were associated with general trust. More detailed analyses indicated that people tend to trust people in the neighborhood more than those who belong to the same racial/ethnic group. Interventions in diverse communities should focus on increasing social integration among residents in order to reach higher levels of trust, contributing to positive health outcomes.