Population Density, Distance to Public Transportation, and Health of Women in Low-income Neighborhoods

Efforts to improve walkability in low-income neighborhoods may fail without first addressing neighborhood crime. As cities make changes to the built environment with the hope of affecting residents' health outcomes, public health nurses need to be aware that changing walkability characteristics in a neighborhood may not affect the health of residents of high crime, low-income neighborhoods.The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of two neighborhood walkability metrics on health outcomes of women living in low-income urban neighborhoods, both before and after accounting for individual and neighborhood factors. A cross-sectional, retrospective design was used and a sample of 1,800 low-income women was drawn from Welfare, Children and Families. A study of low-income women from three U.S. cities was used as a case study. The study sought to determine the effect of distance to public transportation and residential density on health status, mental health symptoms, and health-related limitations by using multilevel modeling and geographic information systems. No significant relationship was found between the two walkability metrics and health outcomes. The research showed that neighborhood problems that affect crime and safety impacted health status and mental health symptoms.

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: References; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 478-490
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01522843
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Apr 24 2014 11:44AM