RAND-University of Pittsburgh Health Institute
How Do Features of the Built and Social Environment Conducive to Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Vary by Neighborhood Racial Composition and Socioeconomic Characteristics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?
Tamara Dubowitz, ScD, RAND
Wendy C. King, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
It is possible that given residential segregation in the U.S., environmental attributes are key to explaining differences in PA participation and dietary choices between racial and socioeconomic groups. It is not clear, however, how these environmental attributes related to physical activity and diet vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, particularly given residential segregation by race and by socioeconomic characteristics in the U.S. This project sought to create a comprehensive database in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with characteristics of the social and built environmental, related to obesity and other health behaviors. In collaboration with multiple organizations connected to Universities and government in Pittsburgh, we aggregated comprehensive data on green space (parks/playgrounds, facilities at parks,), the food environment (grocery stores, fast food restaurants), land use (commercial space, residential space, transportation, residential density). Although Pittsburgh is racially and socioeconomically segregated, we found very little correlation between parks and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics and/or neighborhood racial composition. Future work includes: acquisition and full analysis of food environment and the recreational facility data; stratified analyses, looking at food and physical activity features of the neighborhood as well as by neighborhood racial composition and neighborhood socioeconomic status. We are also interested in applying this database towards individual (or person-level) data. There is a possibility to add this database to the Pittsburgh Neighborhood and Community Information System webpage (http://www.pghnis.pitt.edu). Other potential collaboration/application of database includes an initiative in development by the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (CVVC) to create heightened awareness among high risk populations about root causes of violence and crime and their relation to environmental factors.