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Table 1 Effects of civic engagement on psychological distress among U.S. adults in November 2020

From: Civic engagement and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

Model 1a

Model 2b

Model 3c

Model 4d

n = 1000

n = 999

n = 1000

n = 999

Type of Organization

Linear regression coefficient (standard error)

Unknown

ref

ref

ref

ref

Business or Professional Organization

−0.010 (0.050)

− 0.004 (0.049)

− 0.010 (0.050)

− 0.004 (0.049)

Community, Arts & Rec Organizations

0.033 (0.044)

0.045 (0.045)

0.033 (0.044)

0.042 (0.045)

Identity-based Organizations

0.046 (0.043)

0.053 (0.042)

0.046 (0.043)

0.051 (0.042)

Political Organizations

0.098* (0.044)

0.102* (0.043)

0.089 (0.081)

0.222** (0.081)

Religious Organization

−0.029 (0.040)

−0.012 (0.039)

− 0.029 (0.040)

− 0.018 (0.040)

Social Services Organizations

0.016 (0.048)

0.024 (0.047)

0.016 (0.048)

0.021 (0.048)

Type of Engagement/ Nature of interactions

 Average hours interacting with the organization each week

0.008 (0.009)

 

0.008 (0.009)

 

 Frequency of interactions with people at the organization

 

−0.011 (0.014)

 

−0.005 (0.015)

 Political org x hours per week

  

0.004 (0.035)

 

 Political org x frequency of interactions with people

   

−0.065*1 (0.036)

Demographic Controls

 Female

0.046* (0.019)

0.048* (0.019)

0.046* (0.019)

0.048* (0.019)

 Black, non-Hispanic

−0.059* (0.027)

−0.058* (0.027)

− 0.059* (0.027)

−0.057* (0.027)

 Hispanic

−0.030 (0.034)

−0.031 (0.034)

− 0.030 (0.034)

−0.030 (0.034)

 Asian, Other

−0.044 (0.061)

−0.042 (0.061)

− 0.044 (0.061)

−0.041 (0.061)

 Age

−0.004*** (0.001)

−0.004*** (0.001)

− 0.004*** (0.001)

−0.004*** (0.001)

 Household Income

−0.001 (0.003)

−0.001 (0.003)

− 0.001 (0.003)

−0.001 (0.003)

 Education Level

−0.006 (0.007)

−0.005 (0.007)

− 0.006 (0.007)

−0.006 (0.007)

 Essential Worker

−0.036 (0.023)

−0.036 (0.023)

− 0.035 (0.023)

−0.037 (0.023)

 Married/Partnered

−0.060* (0.025)

−0.058* (0.025)

− 0.060* (0.025)

−0.060* (0.025)

 Constant

0.545*** (0.090)

0.563*** (0.087)

0.545*** (0.090)

0.553*** (0.087)

  1. *p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001 statistically significant from reference category. Standard errors are in parentheses. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-6 scale, rescaled from 0 to 1, with 0 representing low distress and 1 representing severe distress. Associational characteristics were collected in Wave 1. Sex, race/ethnicity, age, household income, education, and married/partnered status were collected as part of the baseline NORC Amerispeak panel. Psychological distress and the essential worker variable were evaluated in Wave 3
  2. 1 Indicates use of a one-tailed significance test, based on our hypothesis that more hours spent with an association and more interpersonal interactions would be associated with lower rates of psychological distress
  3. aModel 1 examines the main effects of hours spent with the association and type of association
  4. bModel 2 examines the main effects of frequency of interactions with people in the association and type of association
  5. cModel 3 examines the main effects of the interaction between hours spent with the association and belonging to a political association
  6. dModel 4 examines the main effects of the interaction between frequency of interactions with people and belonging to a political association
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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