RAND Research Topic: Neighborhood Influences On Health 2012-05-24T14:57:10Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/neighborhood-influences-on-health.html The Women's Health Initiative: The Food Environment, Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, BMI, and Blood Pressure http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100129.html Mar 31, 2012 Mar 31, 2012 Post menopausal women living in neighborhoods with higher socioeconomic status and more supermarkets have lower body mass and lower blood pressure. Two Years and Counting: How Will the Effects of the Affordable Care Act Be Monitored? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120004.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 The Affordable Care Act marks a new era in US health care and US medicine. This commentary suggests ways to monitor the act's effect on the health of the US population. Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Family Fitness Zones: A Natural Experiment in Urban Public Parks http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120003.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 Outdoor exercise equipment in parks seems to attract more new park users and result in a higher expenditure of energy. Community Engagement as Input to the Design of the Environmental Center at Frick Park and Beyond http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1168.html Nov 8, 2011 Nov 8, 2011 Researchers obtained community group and resident input into the design of the new environmental center building at Frick Park and acquired information about residents' attitudes toward and use of Frick Park more generally. The authors offer recommendations for the design of the new building, for the structuring and content of center programs, for improving access to the park and the center, and for successfully marketing park programs. How Much Observation Is Enough? Refining the Administration of SOPARC http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100239.html Oct 31, 2011 Oct 31, 2011 Monitoring parts 4 days/week, 4 times/day is sufficient to estimate park use, park user characteristics, and physical activity. Applying these observation methods can augment physical activity surveillance. Medicare's Bundled Payment Pilot for Acute and Postacute Care:: Analysis and Recommendations on Where to Begin http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100216.html Aug 31, 2011 Aug 31, 2011 Medicare's National Pilot Program on Payment Bundling should use hip fracture and joint replacement as the conditions to include and use longer episodes, capturing a higher percentage of costs and hospital readmissions but adding little financial risk. Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9508.html Aug 3, 2011 Aug 3, 2011 Summarizes key RAND studies on the causes of obesity, its economic and health consequences, and potential strategies for prevention, including work on health care costs, junk food, food deserts, school meals, and proximity of parks. Older Women More Likely to Have Lower Cognitive Function if They Live in Low-Income Neighborhoods http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/08/02.html Aug 2, 2011 Aug 2, 2011 Older women who live in a lower socioeconomic status neighborhood are more likely to exhibit lower cognitive functioning than women who live in more affluent neighborhoods. Older Women More Likely to Have Lower Cognitive Function if They Live in Low-Income Neighborhoods http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100151.html Aug 2, 2011 Aug 2, 2011 Older women who live in a lower socioeconomic status neighborhood are more likely to exhibit lower cognitive functioning than women who live in more affluent neighborhoods&mdash;regardless of their own education level or income. Racial/ethnic Differences in US Health Behaviors: A Decomposition Analysis http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100126.html Apr 30, 2011 Apr 30, 2011 Racial/ethnic differences influence the way that neighborhood socioeconomic status affects health behaviors. Economic Analysis of Physical Activity Interventions http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110010.html Jan 31, 2011 Jan 31, 2011 This study compared the cost-effectiveness of different public interventions for promoting exercise and found that community-based campaigns and school-based interventions have the greatest potential to be scaled up at the lowest costs. Childhood and Adult Socioeconomic Position, Cumulative Lead Levels, and Pessimism in Later Life: The VA Normative Aging Study http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100257.html Jan 1, 2011 Jan 1, 2011 Neighborhood Archetypes for Population Health Research: Is There No Place Like Home? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110006.html Dec 31, 2010 Dec 31, 2010 Latent class analysis. A new approach to studying the role of place in population health, can be used in both research and practice. Using Geographic Information Systems to Match Local Health Needs with Public Health Services and Programs http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100147.html Dec 31, 2010 Dec 31, 2010 Large local health departments could better inform planning and investments by using geographic information systems to align community needs and health outcomes with public health programs. Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Status and Biological 'Wear and Tear' in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adults http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20100115.html Sep 30, 2010 Sep 30, 2010 Living in a lower SES neighborhood is associated with greater biological wear and tear. Small Area Variations in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Does the Neighborhood Matter? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000198.html Jun 30, 2010 Jun 30, 2010 Using surveillance data, researchers identified neighborhoods in a Georgia county with a persistently high incidence of cardiac arrest and low rates of bystander CPR. Such neighborhoods are promising targets for community-based interventions. Examination of Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Transportation on Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior: The Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000149.html Dec 31, 2009 Dec 31, 2009 Physical activity is declining and sedentary behavior is increasing among adolescent girls but neighborhood and transportation characteristics do not seem to be the reason. Cognitive Behavioral Theories Used to Explain Injection Risk Behavior Among Injection Drug Users: A Review and Suggestions for the Integration of Cognitive and Environmental Models http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20100114.html Dec 31, 2009 Dec 31, 2009 <p>Some cognitive behavioral theories, including self-efficacy and social norms, can help explain risky drug injection behaviors, while others, such as perceived susceptibility and perceived barriers, have yielded inconsistent or inconclusive results.</p> Neighborhood Effects on Health: Concentrated Advantage and Disadvantage http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000150.html Dec 31, 2009 Dec 31, 2009 Individuals with more education benefit from living in highly educated neighborhoods to a greater degree than individuals with lower levels of education. The Effect of Light Rail Transit on Body Mass Index and Physical Activity http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20100120.html Dec 31, 2009 Dec 31, 2009 The results of this study suggest that improving neighborhood environments and increasing the public's use of light rail transit systems could provide improvements in health outcomes for millions of individuals.