Can neighborhood associations be allies in health policy efforts? Political activity among neighborhood associations

We examined organizational characteristics and types of political actions of neighborhood associations, and factors influencing the amount of political activity among the associations. We hypothesized that four neighborhood characteristics (population size, income, educational level, and percentage of owner-occupied households) and six organizational characteristics (budget, number of staff, size of board, newsletter publication, coalition involvement, and resident involvement) would influence the amount of political activity of the associations. We obtained data from the 1990 U.S. Census and a survey of neighborhood associations (n = 84) in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. We found that neighborhood associations engaged in numerous and diverse political activities. Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that median household income was negatively associated with amount of political activity. Population size of the neighborhood and intensity of involvement in multi-organization coalitions were both positively associated with political activity (all significant at p < .05). We conclude that neighborhood associations, particularly those in larger and poorer neighborhoods, can be key allies in health and social policy efforts.