Community

Characteristics of communities can influence health in many direct and indirect ways. Neighborhoods can be physically hazardous because of air and chemical pollution, traffic, lack of sidewalks and safe places to exercise, and because of crime. Some neighborhoods have no grocery stores selling fresh produce and other healthy foods, but have a high concentration of liquor stores and billboards promoting liquor and smoking. The presence of role models exhibiting healthy – or unhealthy – behaviors can also affect health. Poor neighborhoods have weaker tax bases to support high-quality public schools and community programs for children, which influence health in multiple ways. Neighborhoods lacking public transportation can limit employment opportunities for low-income individuals. Due to racial and ethnic segregation, African Americans and Hispanics are far more likely to live in unhealthy neighborhoods than Whites of similar levels of income and education (See Race and Ethnicity).

Resources

  • Beyond Health Care: New Directions to a Healthier America

    This Commission report, Beyond Health Care: New Directions to a Healthier America, describes the Commission's work and provides recommendations for moving forward to ensure all Americans have an opportunity to lead healthier lives.

    See the Report

  • A Short Distance to Large Disparities in Health

    Life span disparities reflect differences in wealth, education and environment across all community residents. The differences are even more dramatic - sometimes double - if you compare black and white residents.

  • Philadelphia: Where You Live Matters

    Where we live dramatically affects our health—for better or for worse. Community attributes—including the availability of safe and healthy housing, access to nutritious food and safe places to exercise—can have a direct impact on our opportunity to lead long and healthy lives.

  • Issue Brief: Housing and Health

    This issue brief examines the many ways in which housing can influence health and discusses promising strategies to improve America’s health by ensuring that all Americans have healthy homes.

    PDF

More Resources

Perspectives

  • Stories

    April Manzanares

    When Wal-Mart rolled out its Personal Sustainability Project in 2006, it presented its employees with a challenge: What’s the one change you would make in your life to make the world a better place? April Manzanares, a Wal-Mart people manager in Broomfield, Colo., knew the answer right away. She wanted to be healthier. Meet April Manzanares

     

    Claudine Paris

    At 71, Claudine Paris feels like a “rock star” every day she walks through the hallways of James John Elementary School in Portland, Ore., where she volunteers as a literacy tutor. Meet Claudine Paris

     

    More Stories

  • Leadership Blog

    Guest Post: F as in Fat

    by Jim Marks, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
    July 02, 2009

    Yesterday I was involved in the RWJF and the Trust for America’s Health release of our annual F as in Fat report on obesity in the United States. This year’s findings were particularly interesting. Read More

    RWJF Priorities Intersect with the Commission's Recommendations

    by Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
    June 30, 2009

    The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America just completed a yearlong study and issued 10 recommendations for improving the health of all Americans. I was struck by how many of its suggestions matched our strategies for preventing childhood obesity. Read More

    Start Thinking Outside the Doctor's Office

    by Angela Glover Blackwell, Commissioner
    June 19, 2009

    As a contributor to The Washington Post’s Health Care Rx blog, I was asked to respond to President Obama’s health reform speech to the American Medical Association this week. In my response, “Start Thinking Outside the Doctor’s Office,” I challenge us all to think big about health reform and to consider the connection between our health and the places we live. Read More

    More Blogs

News and Events

  • D.C. Region Health Check Up: Wide Differences Based on Location

    June 30, 2009

    A new report detailing the health of residents in the Washington region shows where you live in the area could add or subtract nearly 10 years from your life. The Washington Council of Governments released a joint report detailing the connection between where someone lives in the region and the quality of their health. Read More

  • USDA Report to Congress: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food—Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences

    June 25, 2009

    The report summarizes findings of a national-level assessment of the extent and characteristics of food deserts, analysis of the consequences of food deserts, lessons learned from related Federal programs, and a discussion of policy options for alleviating the effects of food deserts. Overall, findings show that a small percentage of consumers are constrained in their ability to access affordable nutritious food because they live far from a supermarket or large grocery store and do not have easy access to transportation. Read More

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