We know that where you live matters for your health. Our community partners understand this firsthand because they live it every day. This past summer, the communities that participated in our Healthy Neighborhoods Study – Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan – turned that research data into action by sharing the results to make a difference where they live.
Dec 16
2019
2019
Jun 20
2019
2019
Community Investing for Health, Not Just Profit
When Dr. Megan Sandel talks about the connections between health and housing, one patient, in particular, stands out. “I was treating a cute two-year-old who hadn’t outgrown his 12-month clothes,” she says. “I ordered expensive tests and nutritional supplements that had no impact week after week.” Then, all of a sudden, the child started growing. She came…
May 17
2019
2019
National Research Study Affirms Connections Between Health and Housing
New England has a housing crisis – and it’s impacting our health. These are the findings of the latest County Health Rankings, a project of the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study found that housing affordability and quality are major influencers of health here in New England.
Healthy Neighborhoods Study
What comes to mind when you think about health? The neighborhood you live in rarely makes the list. However, research shows that the places we all live work, play, grow, and learn matter more for good health than access to health care and genetics combined. A new wave of development is sweeping cities in the…
Mar 1
2019
2019
Community Change and Resident Needs: Designing a Participatory Action Research Study in Metropolitan Boston
The Healthy Neighborhoods Study examines the relationship between neighborhood change and population health in nine Massachusetts neighborhoods. Baseline data from the survey show that participants believed certain social factors would improve their lives.
Jan 24
2019
2019
Designing and Facilitating Collaborative Research Design and Data Analysis Workshops: Lessons Learned in the Healthy Neighborhoods Study
A lack of resources on community research design is an impediment to more community-engaged research. This article describes how a consortium of community residents, grassroots community organizations, and academic and public institutions implemented collaborative research design and data analysis processes as part of a participatory action research (PAR) study investigating the relationship between neighborhoods and health in the greater Boston area.
Jan 18
2019
2019
Building Stronger Communities from The Ground Up
Leilani Mroczkowski is a Community Engagement Coordinator for GreenRoots. I’m always struck by how open people are to sharing their stories. Usually, all you have to do is ask. But what’s more important is to listen. On a hot summer evening this past August, I joined five young researchers in the GreenRoots Environmental Chelsea Organizers…
Jan 18
2019
2019
Using Community-Led Research to Address Environmental Injustice
We are where we live. Every day our environments shape our lives and our health. We are all connected by the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the roads and sidewalks we use, the pipes in our walls, the sewer systems under our feet, the parks where we play, and…