Comprehensive Analysis of Neighborhood Impact on Human Health

This essay delves into the multifaceted impact of neighborhoods on health, examining how environmental, social, and economic factors shape individual and community well-being. It explores the influence of housing conditions, pollution, access to healthy foods, and recreational facilities on physical and mental health outcomes. The essay highlights the significance of social cohesion, safety, and socioeconomic status in determining health disparities. It also discusses how neighborhood design, including land use patterns and transportation systems, affects physical activity levels and access to healthcare. Furthermore, the document emphasizes the interplay of environmental, social, and political conditions in creating health advantages or disadvantages, while also considering the role of stress, violence, and community resources. In conclusion, the essay underscores the critical role of neighborhood environments in influencing health and advocates for comprehensive strategies to transform neighborhoods into supportive and healthy spaces for all residents.

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NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT ON HEALTH
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Introduction
Where we live has a tremendous effect on our health. Our houses themselves and homes can be
harmful when they have health and safety hazards (Downing, 2016). An environment exposed to
air pollution, landfills and other toxic sites in the neighborhood can cause an effect on the good
health of an individual (Arcaya et al, 2016). Hence our health is largely dependent on where we
live that is our neighborhood. If the air we breathe in an area is poor this is likely to affect our
health, the water that we use in for drinking or cooking too, if there are hazardous substances,
poor housing, being unable to access nutritious foods and unsafe places to exercise or play
majorly affect our health negatively. Generally, what surrounds us can affect our health either
positively or negatively. Therefore, environmental choices are important in healthful living; the
more the hazardous the neighborhood, the more the chances of ill-health. Nations have been very
conscious when it comes to the matter of environmental hazards that pose a danger to the health
of the people living in.
Neighborhood impact on health
The neighborhood can be families living in a street, shop owners, small towns, gated
communities or where a group of people resides with each other. There is a close relationship
between health and the neighborhood. Although other factors like ecological, political and
economic structures also affect the health of an individual. The forces that directly impact
residents in a neighborhood are a social and physical environment that moreover affects
individual ability to mobilize available resources.
Determinants of health include the behavioral, biological, socio-economic and environmental
factors that affect the health status of an individual or the whole population. Poor social and

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economic lifestyles affect people’s health. Psychosocial risks increase the chances of mental
health and premature health (Chen, and Chen, 2015). Environmental hazards have high chances
of developing heart problems, cancerous diseases, and asthma, among other illnesses.
Environmental risks can be physical or social. The physical environmental risks include;
pollution, toxic chemicals, and food contaminants. The social-environmental risks include;
dangerous working environment, poor houses, high urban population, poverty, and community
unsafe. Unhealthy communities lead to chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart diseases
(Cobb et al, 2015). Living close to social amenities like medical services helps one receive
immediate attention to medication in times of emergencies or any other time of need, and this
increases the mortality rate. But a vulnerable population is the one that lives far from health
centers and this impose a lack of access to social amenity services and health care.
Hoods affect health. Health environments that people live in must have the following; safe
resting parks, availability of jogging paths, enough and healthy recreational facilities, health care
facilities, and low criminal cases. Unhealthy environmental living includes; pollution all over the
air, water, and land, high crime rates, lack of access to medical care and exposure to
environmental hazard diseases. Air pollution has been a major environmental risk causing
premature deaths all over the world. Reduced air pollution is likely to cause a reduction in
respiratory problems, heart diseases, and lung cancer. Living in a neighborhood with many
industrial activities that emit a lot of pollution is likely to affect individual health. Numerous
human activities have also contributed to the environmental pollution that affects health like
mining. Our neighborhood can influence our behavior and motivation to act. It also influences
moods. Rooms that contain artificial or natural brightness can improve health on depression,
agitation, and sleep.

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Maintaining health homes and communities is essential for environmental health. It’s important
to educate the public on keeping their neighborhood clean to improve on their health since the
hoods in which we reside in is the majorly determines our wellbeing (Wheaton et al, 2015). We
derive from the environment all the materials needed to sustain our life. The environmental
burden of disease provides the quantity or amount of diseases caused by environmental risk.
Environmental factors affect a large group of people who share the same living that is a
neighborhood or working space. Environmental factors can also be affected by natural factors
like climate change, earthquakes, and floods. People living in risky environments likely to be
affected by floods or earthquakes are at a high risk of losing their lives. The environmental
factors in the neighborhood include soil, water, climate, natural vegetation, and landforms. What
changes the environment can be visible or non-visible. The neighborhood does not only affect
physical health, but it can as well impact the emotional health and mental health in general.
The regional and neighborhood differences will always exist in all areas despite persistent
adjustment to the social environment. Environmental factors linked to health may be due to
racial and ethnic disparities or even economic disparities (Riley, 2018). Majority of the poor
people find themselves in a poor neighborhood with poor housing, pollutions and lack of clean
water this affects their health largely. Poor people are more prone to diseases caused by the dirty
environment and pollution effects or rather depression and mental health due to poverty and
being unsettled (Richardson et al 2015). The physical and social environment, therefore, affect
people’s health to a greater extent. Exposure to some physiological mechanisms affects the
inflammatory, autonomic and vascular processes. When talking about the neighborhood effect on
the health of an individual we focus attention on the aspects in which the neighborhoods are
designed and built. This includes things like land use patterns, the transportation systems in the

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area, urban planning activities, and design features. The foods that are available in the
neighborhood influence our health and the nutritional value of foods consumed. Good and health
foods improve health while unhealthy foods like junk foods and those that are genetically
modified are likely to affect the health of a person negatively. Individuals who live in most urban
areas and those with low income are likely to lack access to groceries stores and hence lack of
fresh and healthy foods (Gruebner et al 2017). A healthy diet can only be associated with the
neighborhood.
Environmental features factors
Generally, it’s known that exercise helps control weight, reduces cardiovascular diseases,
improves moods as well as extends life expectancy; this physical activity is related with
availability of recreational facilities in the neighborhood as well as the transportation system.
The streets connectivity, buildings, and land use predict the walking ability of an individual;
some geographic areas lack pedestrian ways and also prohibit outdoor activities, these areas do
not accept jogging, biking or even walking(Cabinet al, 2017). Environmental features contribute
to the obesity epidemic. Physical activities help reduce this illness that is caused by lack of
physical exercise. In a neighborhood with several numbers of alcohol, outlets are likely to cause
alcohol-related health complications. Living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area poses
high risks of injury. Transportation systems also pose a risk of accidents especially in areas
where roads are not up to standard.
Social factors
Social, environmental factors are most important to the health of individual they include those
related to safety, violence and social order. Factors that are related to social stability and

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connection are social participation, social cohesion, social capital and collective efficacy of the
neighborhood or work environment. Social, environmental health impact mental and physical
health; social relationships mostly influence our behavior. The neighborhood conditions can also
create stress which includes perception of safety and social disorder and other factors that can
hamper mental health and lead to adverse effects of stress. Stress can also be tied to factors that
influence how one perceives a certain situation and how one responds to stressors. Criminal
activities in an area may affect the cohesiveness of the neighborhood and frequent poor
outcomes. Violence in the neighborhood poses poor health and mental challenge.
Socio-economic factors
Neighborhoods with residents who are low-income earners and minority are likely to have fewer
resources and poor services. The purchasing power of the residents’ reputation and local demand
for the product and services may influence the location of residents to either an ill health
environment or a healthy environment(Mohnen, 2015). Some poor neighborhoods cannot afford
health resources to their environment simply because of a lack of social connections or political
power that can help them. Having more affluent neighbors can help inspire more positive norms
and values, but a bad neighborhood undermines positive values. A neighborhood can also
motivate children to drop out of school as well as parenting effects. The chronic stress of living
in a dangerous and chaotic environment which is rundown can seep through the parenting styles.
The local physical and social environments are great contributors to health advantages or
disadvantages. The school environment and work environment differ substantially depending on
individuals income earned. Neighborhood conditions also pose an advantage or disadvantage in
access to health care. The school environment can affect adolescent children on the use of drugs

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and their physical activities (Dunn et al 2015). Peer influence, role models are among other
factors that affect teens and particularly affect them in their later years. The workplace is also a
determinant of health as either one can be working in a safe environment or a dangerous
environment — exposure to job strains exhibit a strong social gradient which has health
inequalities among the workers. Work-related policies have been put in place to help workers be
safe like employment protection and family or sickness leaves.
Social, political and environmental conditions produce outcomes that significantly affect the
health of the residents in the neighborhood. The neighborhood provides an environment for
disease transmission.
Conclusion
Environmental factors affect the health of an individual much more than any other factors
including unequal distribution of health resources or other resources. The neighborhood can have
a distribution of unhealthy foods and pollution all over or even poor transport systems and lack
of recreational facilities. An environment that discourages physical activities and limits social
interactions with violence and drug use is a health hazard to the people around. The first
environment that one encounters in their early life is likely to affect their entire life. The
contribution of the environment to the health of a person cannot be neglected. The environment
together with other factors influences the health of an individual either physical or mental health
(Tsai, 2015). The social determinants of health are interrelated, and they all possess the equal
capability of shaping one’s life to better or to the worst. Neighborhood changes are also very
crucial since they must occur with another movement to achieve health. Full health can only be

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achieved if neighborhoods are transformed into havens of safety with clean housing, fresh and
healthy foods, streets that favor pedestrians, and unpolluted air or environment.

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