BackgroundCommunities with large minority populations often are located near sources of pollution and have higher crime rates, which may work in combination with other factors to influence health. Poor self-rated health is related to chronic health conditions and premature mortality, with minority populations most likely to report poor health. To address how both resident perception of neighborhood environments and chronic health conditions individually and collectively influence health, we examined self-rated health and its association with multiple types of perceived environmental hazards in a majority-Hispanic urban population.MethodsWe conducted interviews with 354 residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts, US and asked about self-rated health, perceptions of their neighborhood, including participant-reported environmental hazards (e.g., air quality, odors and noise), aspects of the social environment (e.g., feeling safe, neighborhood crime, social cohesion), and culture-related stressors (e.g., immigration status, language stress, ethnic identity). Log-linear models examined the independent and multivariable associations between these factors and fair/poor self-rated health, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and preexisting health conditions.ResultsForty-one percent of participants reported fair/poor self-rated health. Participants frequently perceived environmental hazards such as problems with pests and regular noise disturbance as well as feeling unsafe. In a multivariable model, a greater number of reported noise disturbances (≥ 2 noise sources = 1.53 [1.04–2.26]) and reported insecurity with immigration status (1.66 [1.01–2.73]) were positively associated with fair/poor self-rated health. High social cohesion was inversely associated (0.74 [0.48–1.14]) with fair/poor self-rated health in the multivariable model.ConclusionsNegative perceptions of environmental hazards and reported cultural stressors were significantly associated with fair/poor self-rated health among residents in a low-income majority-minority community, with social cohesion having a beneficial association with self-rated health. Efforts to improve health should recognize the importance of public perceptions of social and environmental hazards found in neighborhood environments, and benefits of strengthening community connections.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5797-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The health implications of urban development, particularly in rapidly changing, low-income urban neighborhoods, are poorly understood. We describe the Healthy Neighborhoods Study (HNS), a Participatory Action Research study examining the relationship between neighborhood change and population health in nine Massachusetts neighborhoods. Baseline data from the HNS survey show that social factors, specifically income insecurity, food insecurity, social support, experiencing discrimination, expecting to move, connectedness to the neighborhood, and local housing construction that participants believed would improve their lives, identified by a network of 45 Resident Researchers exhibited robust associations with self-rated and mental health. Resident-derived insights into relationships between neighborhoods and health may provide a powerful mechanism for residents to drive change in their communities.

Proximity to a park does not necessarily imply access or use, and the social environment may positively or negatively influence the positive intentions of the built environment. To investigate parks, park use and physical activity, and their associations with exposure to community violence, we interviewed residents (n = 354) of a densely populated urban community. Our findings indicate that proximity to any park is not associated with physical activity. However, proximity to the preferred park reported by residents to be conducive for physical activity (with walking paths, large fields, playgrounds for children and tennis courts) was associated with physical activity. Conversely, knowledge of sexual assault or rape in the neighborhood is inversely associated with every type of physical activity (park-based, outdoor, and indoor). Our findings suggest that improvements to the built environment (parks, green spaces) may be hindered by adverse social environments and both are necessary for consideration in the design of public health interventions.

Fig. 1.Chemicals in the Creek is a situated data physicalization that aims to make open governmental data accessible and meaningful for non-expert users. The event was (a, b) designed and created collaboratively with community partners in Chelsea, Massachusetts, (img: Sara Wylie, Garance Malivel) (c) held at night on the Chelsea Creek (img: Will Campbell), and (d) focused on local action (img: Sara Wylie).

We implemented a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods evaluation of an air pollution data report-back to study participants in Chelsea, Massachusetts. We aimed to determine whether the report-back was effective in the following three ways: engagement, understandability, and actionability for the participants. We also evaluated participants’ valuation of the report-back information and process. The evaluation involved both qualitative components, such as ethnographic observation, and quantitative components, such as closed-ended questionnaires and demographic data. The participants who engaged in the report-back process were significantly different from those who did not engage both in terms of their demographics, and in their indoor air pollutant concentrations. Participant understanding generally corresponded with the intended meaning of the research team, suggesting successful data communication. Additionally, many of the participants reported that they were inspired to take action in order to reduce their indoor air pollutant exposure as a result of the report-back process and information provided. These results identify areas of improvement for engagement, particularly regarding populations that may have higher exposures. This work outlines a framework with which to contextualize and evaluate the success of engagement with report-back efforts. Such evaluations can allow research teams to assess whether they are providing information that is equitably useful and actionable for all participants.