Walkable neighborhoods help adults socialize, increase community

Date:
June 20, 2023
Source:
University of California - San Diego
Summary:
Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely
to socialize and have a stronger sense of community, report
researchers.


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==========================================================================
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to interact
with their neighbors and have a stronger sense of community than people
who live in car-dependent communities, report researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University
of California San Diego.

The findings of the study, published online in the journal Health &
Place, support one of six foundational pillars suggested by United
States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy as part of a national strategy to
address a public health crisis caused by loneliness, isolation and lack
of connection in this country.

In May 2023, the Surgeon General Advisory stated that loneliness and
isolation can lead to a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32%
increased risk of stroke, a 50% increased risk of developing dementia
among older adults, and increases risk of premature death by more
than 60%.

To address this public health crisis, the Surgeon General recommends strengthening social infrastructure by designing environments that
promote connection.

"Our built environments create or deny long-lasting opportunities
for socialization, physical activity, contact with nature, and other experiences that affect public health," said James F. Sallis, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health
and senior author of the UC San Diego study.

"Transportation and land use policies across the U.S. have strongly
prioritized car travel and suburban development, so millions of
Americans live in neighborhoods where they must drive everywhere, usually alone, and have little or no chance to interact with their neighbors."
Walkable neighborhoods promote active behaviors like walking for leisure
or transportation to school, work, shopping or home.

The study analyzed data from the Neighborhood Quality of Life Study,
which included 1,745 adults ages 20 to 66 living in 32 neighborhoods
located in and around Seattle, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Neighborhood walkability may promote social interactions with neighbors
-- like waving hello, asking for help or socializing in their homes,
said the first author, Jacob R. Carson, M.P.H., a student in the UC San
Diego -- San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public
Health. Carson began the research while a Master of Public Health student
at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health.

Neighborhoods where people must drive in and out, and where there is an
absence of gathering places, may have the opposite effect, preventing
neighbors from socializing.

"Promoting social interaction is an important public health
goal. Understanding the role of neighborhood design bolsters our ability
to advocate for the health of our communities and the individuals who
reside in them," said Carson.

"Fewer traffic incidents, increases in physical activity, and better neighborhood social health outcomes are just a few of the results of
designing walkable neighborhoods that can enrich our lives." Co-authors include: Terry L. Conway and Kelli L. Cain, UC San Diego; Lilian G.

Perez, RAND Corporation; Lawrence D. Frank, UC San Diego Department of
Urban Studies and Planning and Urban Design 4 Health, Inc.; and Brian
E. Saelens, Seattle Children's Research Institute and University of
Washington.

This research was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (HL67350).

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========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_California_-_San_Diego. Original written by Yadira
Galindo. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jacob R. Carson, Terry L. Conway, Lilian G. Perez, Lawrence
D. Frank,
Brian E. Saelens, Kelli L. Cain, James F. Sallis. Neighborhood
walkability, neighborhood social health, and self-selection
among U.S.

adults. Health & Place, 2023; 82: 103036 DOI: 10.1016/
j.healthplace.2023.103036 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230620113745.htm

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