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Neighborhood Factors in Health

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Handbook of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

There are a number of processes through which neighborhood environments may relate to behaviors and health outcomes, and a number of studies have empirically examined neighborhood health effects. This chapter highlights the major theoretical and methodological challenges that must be overcome to improve our understanding of how and why neighborhoods matter for health. We focus on issues regarding: (1) defining and operationalizing neighborhood boundaries, (2) measuring neighborhood exposures, (3) improving study design and causal inference, and (4) accounting for time and life-course effects. We also provide examples of how researchers are using novel and creative approaches to address these challenges. Identification of causal neighborhood effects amenable to intervention and policy will require multidisciplinary approaches that address these challenges.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, 50 University Hall, #7360, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360, USA

    Mahasin S. Mujahid (Assistant Professor of Epidemiology)

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 Observatory St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA

    Ana V. Diez Roux (Professor of Epidemiology)

Authors
  1. Mahasin S. Mujahid
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  2. Ana V. Diez Roux
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Correspondence to Mahasin S. Mujahid .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. St Georges Hospital Medical School, Dept. Psychology, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom

    A. Steptoe

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Mujahid, M.S., Roux, A.V.D. (2010). Neighborhood Factors in Health. In: Steptoe, A. (eds) Handbook of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09488-5_24

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