Growing UIp Healthy in East Harlem (CBPR)

描述（由申请人提供）：纽约东哈莱姆市城市建筑环境中环境因素暴露评估。儿童肥胖在美国已经成为一种流行病，尤其是在非洲裔和拉丁裔儿童中。东哈莱姆是一个以少数族裔为主的社区，是纽约市肥胖率最高的社区。东哈莱姆社区的领袖们建议西奈山儿童环境健康中心，包括东哈莱姆社区健康委员会的成员，博里肯社区健康中心和定居点健康中心，建议将东哈莱姆的儿童肥胖问题作为中心的主要优先事项。环境因素越来越被认为是影响超重和肥胖发展的重要因素。东哈莱姆区的领导人已经确定了一系列城市建筑环境特有的环境因素，这些因素似乎是健康生活方式的障碍，也是儿童肥胖的推动者。这些问题包括缺乏游戏空间、对安全的担忧、缺乏新鲜食品以及青少年活动机会有限。为了评估和描述这些因素，这个拟议的CBPR项目将研究东哈莱姆区城市建筑环境的结构特征，特别关注：1)公园和休闲区域的可达性；2)体育活动的机会和空间；3)安全;4)邻里美学；5)健康食品的可及性。研究人员还计划调查儿童在建筑环境中暴露于当代使用的合成ed（可能改变内分泌功能的化学物质）的情况，特别是邻苯二甲酸盐、双酚A和植物雌激素。最近的国家

Description (provided by applicant): Exposure Assessment of Environmental Factors in the Urban Built Environment of East Harlem, NY. Childhood obesity has become epidemic in the U.S., especially among African-American and Latino children. East Harlem, a predominantly minority community, has the highest prevalence of obesity of any neighborhood in NYC. East Harlem community leaders, who advise the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center, including members of the East Harlem Community Health Committee, the Boriken Neighborhood Health Center and Settlement Health, have recommended that childhood obesity in East Harlem become a major Center priority. Environmental factors are increasingly acknowledged to influence development of overweight and obesity. Leaders in East Harlem have identified a series of environmental factors unique to the urban built environment that appear to be barriers to healthy lifestyles and promoters of childhood obesity. These include, paucity of play-spaces, concerns about safety, lack of fresh foods and limited opportunities for youth activities. To assess and characterize these factors, this proposed CBPR project will study structural features of the urban built environment of East Harlem with particular attention to, 1) accessibility of parks and recreational areas; 2) opportunities and spaces for physical activity; 3) safety; 4) neighborhood aesthetics; and 5) accessibility to healthy foods. The investigators also plan to examine children's exposures to contemporary-use synthetic EDs (chemicals that may alter endocrine function) in the built environment, in particular, phthalates, bisphenol A, and phytoestrogens. Recent national surveys conducted by the CDC found that residues of EDs are present almost universally in Americans, but that there exist significant disparities in body burdens by age, sex, race and ethnicity with highest levels found in children and in minorities. Sources of ED exposure appear to include diet, personal care products and plastics. The investigators plan to assess children's biological levels and environmental sources of ED exposure in the urban built environment of East Harlem, NY. This project will continue a tradition in the Center of strong partnership with the East Harlem community.