IMPACT is a multi-level study aimed at determining the association between features of the urban environment and three health outcomes: (i) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (ii) HIV and other blood-borne pathogens, and (iii) substance use. Surprisingly little systematic research has explored the relation between features of the individual’s environment, her/his risk behavior, and disease morbidity (i.e. PTSD, HIV, and substance use) while controlling for relevant individual-level covariates. This study is examining the independent and interactive effect of key features of the urban social environment (residential segregation, income distribution, neighborhood disadvantage) and of the urban physical environment (population density, public transportation, the built environment) as they relate to PTSD, sexual and drug use risk factors for HIV infection, HIV prevalence, and club drug use among residents of New York City. 36 ethnographically defined neighborhoods in 4 New York City boroughs are the sampling frame for this study. We anticipate recruiting 3,000 participants over the five year course of this study.
For more information please contact: Sandro Galea.