Communities Supporting Healthy Lifestyles

According to the RI Department of Health,

“Heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and injury are the five leading causes of death and disability in Rhode Island. All five of these causes of death and disability are related to physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use and safety. Evidence shows that individual health is linked closely to social and physical environments, which act to determine individual and group health behaviors. To create lasting behavior change, the environment must support healthy behaviors. An individual may be knowledgeable about the benefits of physical activity, good nutrition, and the risks of tobacco use and may be motivated to make changes, but environmental barriers such as the availability or cost of healthy foods in the community, pervasive marketing to children and teens by tobacco companies, or the inability to walk in the neighborhood because of lack of sidewalks or safety concerns can be prohibitive and must be addressed.”

 

Part of building a strong neighborhood is eliminating the barriers for residents to live healthy lifestyles. In 2009, OHC was awarded a contract under this initiative at the Department of Health to conduct an assessment of the neighborhood’s barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, to create an action plan for improvements, and to begin to make the improvements.

 

Click here to read the full report on our health assessment!

 

Click here to read the fact sheet in English and Spanish!