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Neighborhood Influences on Health

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Report

How Can Parks Help Increase Physical Activity?

May 7, 2018

Public neighborhood parks play an important role in providing venues for physical activity in urban areas. But they tend to be underutilized, especially for moderate to vigorous exercise.
Essay

How Pittsburgh Is Addressing Social and Economic Disparities

Jul 2, 2019

Pittsburgh has been taking a hard look at race, wealth, and opportunity. In partnership with RAND, the city has run and published its numbers on subjects ranging from police contacts to business ownership to graduation rates as part of a commitment to do better.

Explore Neighborhood Influences on Health

Journal Article

Modest Improvements in Marketing and Signage at Parks Can Increase Visitors’ Activity and Exercise

Physical activity in public parks may help improve community health, but promoting it is difficult for local parks with limited budgets. Modest increases in signage, promotional items, and outreach in parks across Los Angeles boosted physical activity by 7 to 12 percent compared to parks that did not make changes.

Nov 1, 2013
Commentary

What's in a Name? Calling Obesity a Disease Could Help Improve Chronic Disease Outcomes

The American Medical Association officially designated obesity as a disease, hoping to help change the way doctors approach the issue with their patients, increase funding for research on effective treatments, spur insurers to cover prescription weight loss medications, and maybe even help de-stigmatize the condition.

Oct 16, 2013
Commentary

Using the Power of Communities to Beat Depression

Under-resourced communities of color have limited access to programs that could improve recognition and treatment of depression. RAND and UCLA investigators applied an engagement model to determine how to better serve these communities.

Aug 27, 2013
Journal Article

How Do Neighborhood Parks Contribute to Physical Activity?

Neighborhood parks can support vigorous physical activity, but they are underutilized. Efforts to promote vigorous activity in local parks could help both child development and adult physical fitness. 

Aug 1, 2013
Journal Article

Getting Actionable About Community Resilience

The findings of a baseline survey on community resilience in Los Angeles highlighted opportunities for engaging communities in disaster preparedness and informed the development of a community action plan and toolkit.

Jun 7, 2013
Blog

Can “Fixing” Food Deserts Curb Obesity? The Jury Is Still Out

We know that the obesity epidemic is a serious public health concern. What's less clear, however, is how our surroundings fit into the equation.

Apr 18, 2013
Journal Article

Are Our Actions Aligned with Our Evidence? The Skinny on Changing the Landscape of Obesity

Recent debate about the role of food deserts in the United States has prompted discussion on policies being enacted, including efforts that encourage the placement of full-service supermarkets into food deserts.

Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article

The Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Coronary Heart Disease in Women

Women living in more compact communities had a lower probability of experiencing a coronary heart disease (CHD) event or dying as a result of CHD.

Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Neighborhood Food Outlets, Diet, and Obesity Among California Adults, 2007 and 2009

The presence of food outlets near home is not associated with dietary intake or BMI. In general, shopping patterns are weakly related, if at all, to neighborhoods, perhaps because of easy access to cars.

Mar 1, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Exploring Community Health Center and Faith-Based Partnerships: Community Residents' Perspectives

Community health centers (CHCs) play a critical role in the primary care safety net.

Feb 1, 2013
Report

Exploring the Association Between Military Base Neighborhood Characteristics and Soldiers' and Airmen's Outcomes

This report explores how neighborhood theory and social indicators research shed light on quality of life in and around military bases, gaps in the methodology, and how a more in-depth analysis of military installations could be conducted.

Jan 24, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Use of Neighbourhood Parks: Does Socio-Economic Status Matter? A Four-City Study

The finding that park programming is the most important correlate of park use and park-based physical activity suggests that there are opportunities for facilitating physical activity among populations of both high- and low-poverty areas.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Food Policy Research: We Need Better Measurement, Better Study Designs, and Reasonable and Measured Actions Based on the Available Evidence

The authors' findings support restricting the development of fast-food outlets and attracting grocery stores, and are committed to additional research that overcomes the limitations of large studies.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Outdoor Advertising, Obesity, and Soda Consumption: A Cross-Sectional Study

There is a relationship between the percentage of outdoor food advertising and overweight/obesity.

Jan 1, 2013
Commentary

What Happens When a 'Food Desert' Gets an Oasis?

In an era of budget constraints, policymakers confronting the U.S. obesity crisis need strong evidence from projects like PHRESH to inform decisions about where and how to invest, writes Tamara Dubowitz.

Dec 13, 2012
Journal Article

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors: What Impact Do Neighborhoods Have?

Neighborhood socioeconomic status is significantly associated with coronary heart disease risk, according to a nationally-representative sample. The association is larger in men than women and in whites than minorities.

Oct 1, 2012
Journal Article

Is There a Robust Relationship Between Neighborhood Food Environment and Childhood Obesity?

Evidence suggests that the existence of more types of food outlets in an area, including supermarkets, is associated with a higher body mass index among youth.

Sep 1, 2012
Commentary

Bedside Manners: Obesity Is Not All Your Fault

Before anyone decides to drink an extra-large soda or take another trip to the vending machine, someone else is determining the choices at our disposal. Stemming the tide of obesity requires healthier choices, but it requires healthier options, too.

Jul 26, 2012
Journal Article

Journal Article

Exploring Park Director Roles in Promoting Community Physical Activity

Parks provide numerous opportunities for physical activity (PA). Previous studies have evaluated parks' physical features, but few have assessed how park staff influence PA.

Jul 1, 2012
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Women's Health Initiative: The Food Environment, Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, BMI, and Blood Pressure

Post menopausal women living in neighborhoods with higher socioeconomic status and more supermarkets have lower body mass and lower blood pressure.

Mar 31, 2012

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