Healthy Neighborhoods Study, Boston, Massachusetts, 2016-2018 (ICPSR 38721)
Version Date: Apr 19, 2023 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Vedette Gavin, Conservation Law Foundation;
Maggie Super Church, Conservation Law Foundation;
Mariana Arcaya, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38721.v1
Version V1
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Summary View help for Summary
The Healthy Neighborhoods Study (HNS) aimed to better understand the relationship between urban development, neighborhood conditions, and population health in Boston. More specifically, the research completed was the planning and baseline phase for a longer 9 year longitudinal study with two overarching aims:
- to determine how to measure and evaluate the mid- to long-term impacts of transit-oriented development on neighborhood conditions and population health, and
- to better understand the drivers and mechanisms that mediate the relationship between neighborhoods and health.
The study tracks measures in health, development, neighborhood conditions and resident experiences in nine urban centers in the Boston-metro area.
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Funding View help for Funding
Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Smallest Geographic Unit View help for Smallest Geographic Unit
Neighborhood
Distributor(s) View help for Distributor(s)
Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)
Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes
- For additional information, please see the study website.
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between urban development, neighborhood conditions, and population health in Boston.
Study Design View help for Study Design
Neighborhoods in this study were in the Boston-metro area located near well use public transit hubs, including: Dorchester, Dudley, Mattapan, Roxbury, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Brockton, Fall River and New Bedford. The secondary data were collected within a research area defined as a 1/2 mile radius of a well-used transit-hub in each neighborhood at the smallest granularity available (point, census tract or 5-digit zip code). The primary survey data was collected from residents living within the research area. Eligible survey participants held permanent residence in the research site, were 18 years of age and older and spoke one of the languages that the survey was offered in (English, Spanish and Haitian Creole).
Sample View help for Sample
The survey and sampling methodology were developed using community participatory methods. A team of resident researchers in each research site reviewed demographic data for their neighborhoods and selected four demographic characteristics across which to ensure representativeness. For example, groups picked characteristics like race/ethnicity, age, education level, language spoken, nationality or time in neighborhood.
Time Method View help for Time Method
Universe View help for Universe
Adult residents age 18 or older living in urban centers in the Boston-metro area.
Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation
Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)
Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
This study contains variables that fall under the following sections:
- Demographics and household
- Housing and neighborhood
- Health
- Prioritization
- Financial security
- Food security
- Social support
- Transportation
- Local business
- Discrimination
- Ownership of change
Response Rates View help for Response Rates
The desired survey sample size was 50 residents in each of the ten research sites (total sample of 500 residents). The actual number of responses was 364.
HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2023-04-19
Version History View help for Version History
2023-04-19 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Notes
These data are freely available to data users at ICPSR member institutions. The curation and dissemination of this study are provided by the institutional members of ICPSR. How do I access ICPSR data if I am not at a member institution?