The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71498

Rebecca Flournoy, MPH, Victor Rubin, PhD, and Mildred Thompson, MSW. PolicyLink, 101 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607, 510-663-2333, rebeccaf@policylink.org

This presentation focuses on the link between development trends and levels of physical activity, with special attention to the health of, and the conditions faced by, residents of low-income, urban communities. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that people with lower incomes and many people of color are less likely to report getting recreational exercise than their higher income and white counterparts. They are also more likely than people with higher incomes and whites to suffer health consequences that accompany low levels of physical activity, such as diabetes and heart disease. PolicyLink, a national nonprofit research, communications, capacity-building, and advocacy organization, will discuss how neighborhoods that have become racially segregated and economically isolated as a result of sprawling development patterns offer few opportunities to be physically active, and how this harms the health of community residents. The presentation will highlight data on environmental barriers to physical activity in low-income communities, including lack of access to parks, unaffordable recreation facilities, crime, and school systems without adequate funding for recreational activities and facilities. Policies and organizing efforts to improve community environments across the nation will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the session, the participant will be able to:
• (1) Discuss the importance of increasing physical activity in low-income communities of color.
• (2) List three examples of research findings that show that low-income communities and/or communities of color face environmental barriers to physical activity.
• (3) Describe five examples of community members improving their local environments in ways that have made it easier for residents to be physically active.

Keywords: Social Inequalities, Community Building

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.