 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Larry Cohen, MSW, Rachel Davis, MSW, Shailushi Baxi, MPH, and Danice Cook. Prevention Institute, 265 29th Street, Oakland, CA 94611, 510-444-7738, larry@preventioninstitute.org
Data shows that low-income individuals and people of color within the United States generally have higher rates of poor health and injury than higher income groups and whites. In many cases, these disparities are due to diseases and injuries that are preventable.
Whether through treatment or education, efforts to improve health have often focused on correcting for or modifying individual behavior. Many suggest that health is largely determined by individual behavior choices, like whether to smoke, drink, or use drugs, what to eat, how much physical activity to get, and how careful to be in sexual relations. Behavior, in our society, is typically constructed in these individualist terms, leaving many to conclude that poor health is the result of poor or ill-informed choices. However, researchers are increasingly recognizing the relationship between behavior and environment in determining health outcomes, acknowledging the limits of efforts that focus solely on individual behavior change. A disproportionate number of poor and minority population groups are getting sick, and it is unethical to “blame the victim” by focusing solely on individual choice.
This presentation looks at the environmental conditions—including man-made infrastructures, social capital, services and institutions, and macro factors—that influence health behaviors and lifestyle choices. Altering environments can be an effective strategy to influence behavior, especially for entire population groups. By better understanding how environments support healthy behaviors, more effective interventions, including policy and organizational, are possible.
Learning Objectives:
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.
Handout (.doc format, 456.0 kb)