Redesigning curbs to curb childhood obesity: Assessing the Built Environment in Low-Income Neighborhoods in Houston, TX

Public health officials have declared obesity as an epidemic resulting not only in preventable deaths and compromised quality of life but also significant costs to the health care system due to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases (Mokdad et al. 1999). Estimates of childhood obesity in neighborhoods throughout the Houston area range from twenty-one to 65% (among children age 12-17 years).   This suggests that children are not getting enough physical activity and/or consuming an excess number of calories to maintain a healthy weight.  Evidence suggests that the built environment can encourage more physical activity by enabling more opportunities for walking and biking.  To better understand the challenges communities face in living healthier lifestyles, Healthy Living Matters, a local initiative aimed at curbing childhood obesity through policy and environmental change in Houston/Harris County, identified three “high-risk” communities for built environment assessments. A comprehensive framework was applied to examine the built environment in these diverse low-income neighborhoods in the Houston area.  The framework included several essential elements important for fostering the integration of physical activity into the daily lives of residents.  The factors examined included roads, sidewalks, bike trails and access to public destinations such as parks and retail.  Unique policy and environmental change recommendations were developed in partnership with local residents.   Results from this assessment will provide the basis for discussion with session participants about how to apply this framework and engage community stakeholders in the process to assess the built environment and influence changes in their community.