The prevalence of obesity, a major risk factor for four of the ten leading causes of death (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dietary cancers, and stroke), has risen dramatically over the past 20 years in the United States. In neighborhoods with few economic resources, aspects of the built environment may be less conducive to physical activity and healthy diets, placing residents disproportionately at risk. The growing health burden of obesity and co-morbidities highlight the need to identify effective measures of the means by which the built environment influences health, as well as effective interventions to create healthier environments. The longitudinal study proposed here will contribute to both of these goals. Specifically, the proposed initiative is to: 1) Assess independent and collective scientific contributions of five methods of assessing characteristics of the built environment (measures of accessibility; mapping; typologies of neighborhood characteristics; observation; and residents' perceptions) for understanding the means by which the built environment influences behavioral and biological factors associated with obesity and related co-morbidities among African American, Hispanic and white residents of Detroit; 2) Develop and implement additional components of a multilevel, multi-site intervention that incorporates modifications of the built environment and that builds on ongoing social and behavioral approaches to promote physical activity and access to healthy foods in eastside, northwest and southwest Detroit; 3) Conduct longitudinal analyses to evaluate the independent and cumulative effects of modifications of the built environment, alone and in conjunction with multilevel, multi-site social, informational and behavioral approaches to promote physical activity and access to healthy foods among African American, Hispanic and white residents of eastside, northwest and southwest Detroit; and 4) Disseminate knowledge gained about the implications of changes in the built environment alone, and in conjunction with behavioral and social interventions, for behavioral and biological indicators of obesity and related co-morbidities to community members and to local, regional and national decision makers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES014234-04
Application #
7480998
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LWJ-C (BE))
Program Officer
Humble, Michael C
Project Start
2005-09-19
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2008-08-01
Budget End
2009-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$571,160
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
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Vivoda, Jonathon M; Heeringa, Steven G; Schulz, Amy J et al. (2017) The Influence of the Transportation Environment on Driving Reduction and Cessation. Gerontologist 57:824-832
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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

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