Neighborhood Social Ecology and Health: Street Life Potential and BMI among Urban Youth

Christopher Browning, Ohio State University
Catherine Calder, Ohio State University

Jane Jacobs’ (1961) classic work emphasized the role of physical and ecological characteristics of urban neighborhoods in fostering beneficial environments for local youth. Neighborhoods with high population and commercial density generate more dynamic street activity. In turn, this street life draws attention, monitoring, and support for residents who make use of public spaces. Children and young adolescents who live in neighborhoods with well-monitored and maintained public spaces may be more likely to engage in outdoor physical activity, reducing the prevalence of obesity. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we find that street life potential (combining population density, commercial density, and the presence of adults on the street) is negatively associated with the prevalence of children with high body mass index in urban neighborhoods (controlling for prior BMI). This finding points to the importance of research on the link between social ecology and adolescent health.