Social inequalities have been linked to health disparities at the individual and the population levels and are associated with income inequalities, not simply with absolute income. There is clear evidence of a strong association between socioeconomic status (SES), economic development, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the largest contributor to all-cause mortality in the U.S. The pathways linking these social and economic inequalities to health are not yet well understood. The Social and Physical Environments and Health Disparities Project is a community-based, participatory research partnership of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, community-based organizations, and healthcare institutions in Detroit.
The specific aims of the proposed project are to 1) estimate the relationship between racial and ethnic group status, SES, and mental and physical health in a stratified, multistage probability sample (n = 1000) of an adult population in Detroit, Michigan, and estimate the relationship between racial or ethnic group status, SES, and specific biomarkers for cardiovascular risk factors in a subset of this sample (n = 200); 2) examine the relationships between neighborhood sociodemographic context (e.g., concentrated poverty), selected aspects of the physical environment (exposure to PM 10 and PM 2.5 airborne particulate matter), and selected aspects of the social environment (e.g., acute life events); 3) investigate independent and cumulative effects of exposure to psychosocial stressors on biological risk markers for CVD (e.g., total serum cholesterol and LDL); 4) document the strength of the association between airborne particulate matter and selected proximate risk and protective factors (e.g., elevated plasma homocysteine, F2 isoprostane) for CVD; 5) investigate potential mediating and moderating effects of behavioral and psychosocial responses to stressors (e.g., smoking), and micronutrient intake (e.g., intake of folic acid, B-6, and B-12) on the relationships between selected aspects of the physical and social environments and biological markers for CVD, and self-reported CVD and depression; and 6) create a Community Outreach and Education Program to disseminate and translate knowledge gained from the study to inform new and established intervention and policy efforts in Detroit.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES010936-05
Application #
6783438
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-JPM-B (HD))
Program Officer
Gray, Kimberly A
Project Start
2000-09-30
Project End
2006-07-31
Budget Start
2004-08-01
Budget End
2006-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$595,781
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Ward, Melanie; Schulz, Amy J; Israel, Barbara A et al. (2018) A conceptual framework for evaluating health equity promotion within community-based participatory research partnerships. Eval Program Plann 70:25-34
LeBrón, Alana M W; Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela et al. (2018) Impact of change over time in self-reported discrimination on blood pressure: implications for inequities in cardiovascular risk for a multi-racial urban community. Ethn Health :1-19
Kwarteng, Jamila L; Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela B et al. (2018) Does Perceived Safety Modify the Effectiveness of a Walking-Group Intervention Designed to Promote Physical Activity? Am J Health Promot 32:423-431
Kwarteng, Jamila L; Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela B et al. (2017) Independent Effects of Neighborhood Poverty and Psychosocial Stress on Obesity Over Time. J Urban Health 94:791-802
Zenk, Shannon N; Mentz, Graciela; Schulz, Amy J et al. (2017) Longitudinal Associations Between Observed and Perceived Neighborhood Food Availability and Body Mass Index in a Multiethnic Urban Sample. Health Educ Behav 44:41-51
Kwarteng, Jamila L; Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela B et al. (2016) NEIGHBOURHOOD POVERTY, PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND CENTRAL ADIPOSITY IN THE USA: INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS IN A REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS. J Biosoc Sci 48:709-22
Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki; Schulz, Amy J; Zenk, Shannon N et al. (2015) Joint Associations of Residential Density and Neighborhood Involvement With Physical Activity Among a Multiethnic Sample of Urban Adults. Health Educ Behav 42:510-7
LeBrón, Alana M W; Schulz, Amy Jo; Mentz, Graciela et al. (2015) John Henryism, socioeconomic position, and blood pressure in a multi-ethnic urban community. Ethn Dis 25:24-30
Schulz, Amy J; Mentz, Graciela B; Sampson, Natalie R et al. (2015) Effects of particulate matter and antioxidant dietary intake on blood pressure. Am J Public Health 105:1254-61
Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki; Schulz, Amy J; Zenk, Shannon N et al. (2015) Does territoriality modify the relationship between perceived neighborhood challenges and physical activity? A multilevel analysis. Ann Epidemiol 25:107-12

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