Results

Principle Components contain information from all the other variables and are representative of their variability. Therefore, by using the results from the factor analysis, the first principle component is used as the Neighborhood Stress Index because it is has the highest variability in addition to containing information from all the other variables

Stress Index in the GVRD

Interpretation

There is a general pattern where neighborhoods with better social and economic conditions have less stress than those with poor social and economic conditions (Compare West Vancouver and Downtown East Side).
Also because the index is representative of all the variables, some neighborhoods that are expected to perform better if judged by, for example, income levels alone do not do so. This could be due to other stressors like population of dependants.

Since the first principle component highly correlates with Low Income Incidence and we know that neighborhood stress is directly related to social and economic conditions it is interesting to compare the above results with Low Income Incidence in the GVRD

Incidence of low income in the GVRD

The two maps follow the general pattern of more stress in areas with more incidences of low income.

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