Metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy): an environmental assessment tool for measuring indicators of violence, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug exposures

C D M Furr-Holden; K D M Campbell; A J Milam; M J Smart; N A Ialongo; P J Leaf

doi:10.1177/0193841X10368493

Metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy): an environmental assessment tool for measuring indicators of violence, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug exposures

Eval Rev. 2010 Jun;34(3):159-84. doi: 10.1177/0193841X10368493.

Authors

C D M Furr-Holden¹, K D M Campbell, A J Milam, M J Smart, N A Ialongo, P J Leaf

Affiliation

¹ Department of Mental Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. dholden@jhsph.edu

Abstract

Objectives: Establish metric properties of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy).

Method: A total of 919 residential block faces were assessed by paired raters using the NIfETy. Reliability was evaluated via interrater and internal consistency reliability; validity by comparing NIfETy data with youth self-reported violence, alcohol, and other drug exposure and crime statistics.

Results: Validity and reliability metrics were moderate to exemplary for the total scale and subscales. NIfETy data correlated strongly with crime data and youth self-reported exposure.

Conclusions: The NIfETy is valid and reliable. Future investigations will explore its use in other urban centers and association to other health outcomes.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Baltimore
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Residence Characteristics*
Smoking*
Social Environment*
Substance-Related Disorders*
Surveys and Questionnaires / standards
Violence*
Young Adult

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding