Growing UIp Healthy in East Harlem (CBPR)

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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.