Ridhi Sharma
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Grace Noppert
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Survey Research Center / ISR
Program:
Authors:
Session: Session 2: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Poster: 66
Abstract
Your neighborhood significantly affects your health and well-being. Access to physical activities (e.g., walkable streets, parks, gyms), social spaces (restaurants, cafes), and cognitive stimulation (libraries, museums) are some neighborhood factors that impact health. The Biosocial Investigations into Health and Equity research project explores the role of neighborhood data in enhancing our understanding of health equity. Our approach involves compiling and analyzing datasets that encompass various social factors influencing health. Examples of areas we specifically investigate include the influence of parks on health, the role of neighborhood poverty, and the potential health implications of historically redlined neighborhoods. Through extensive literature reviews, data retrieval, and codebook analysis, we organize and synthesize relevant information, contributing to a comprehensive update of the National Neighborhood Data Archive. For this project, we will be creating new datasets that will further facilitate investigations into the role of the neighborhood environment in health. These datasets will include: measures of fatal police encounters, a measure of how LGBTQ-friendly the neighborhood policy environment is, and how many high-risk businesses for respiratory pathogen transmission in a neighborhood. By making this organized data available, our study aims to facilitate further research, enabling researchers to delve into the relationships between neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes. This collaborative effort seeks to advance the ongoing exploration of how diverse factors within neighborhoods can significantly impact individual and community health.
