Tomey Group - Neighborhood Environment and Health

Associations between the neighborhood environment and physical activity, body composition, and physical functioning

Neighborhood Environments and Health Outcomes
Investigation of how the neighborhood environment impacts physical-activity related health conditions, particularly mobility impairments, and how the neighborhood environment interacts with personal health and demographic factors
>> Development of Functional Limitations in the Built Environment of Mid-Aged Women This study builds on data already collected from the established Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) longitudinal cohort of women. The goal is to assess whether objectively-measured neighborhood characteristics influence development and progression of mobility impairment.
>> Estimating the Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Air Pollution on Biological Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in the SWAN cohort Evaluate the effects of air pollution on health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, in women
>> Neighborhoods and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Multiethnic Cohort If features of neighborhoods are shown to be important in the development of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease may need to focus on environments as well as individuals. Identifying the specific neighborhood features that are most important is key to the development and future testing of these interventions

Factors that Impact Development and Trajectory of Physical Functioning
Investigation of how certain factors, like dietary intake, body composition, menopausal status and other factors impact physical functioning outcomes (such as mobility impairments)
>> Changes in Bone, Arthritis and Function: Hormones and Obesity III (MBHMS) The objective of this study is to assess the role of obesity and metabolic dysfunctionality with knee osteoarthritis (OA), knee joint pain, and physical functioning performance, adjusted for joint space width (JSW) asymmetry and to describe bone loss rates across the transmenopause related to FSH staging and the final menstrual period (FMP).