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

Abstract #74092

Amy Schultz, PhD, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (734) 647-0221, ajschulz@umich.edu

This presentation will build on prior conceptual frameworks of racial and spatial segregation and their implications for health, through their effects on the built and social environments. Emphasis will be placed on relationships between the built environment and social factors that have been shown to be predictive of health outcomes, including socioeconomic inequalities, social networks, social support, and access to social, political and material resources. The discussion will include descriptions of urban residents' perceptions of the built and social environments, as well as collective efforts to address negative effects of deteriorated urban environments on social relationships. In conclusion, implications will be given for the development of interventions to reduce health disparities, with a particular emphasis on urban environments.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
• understand how infrastructure characteristics of the built environment affect human health psychologically and socially;
• recognize how human behavior is constrained by the built environment and how these factors are influenced with respect to morbidity and mortality;
• understand the implications for the development of interventions to reduce health disparities, especially in urban environments.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Urban Health

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.