[EQ] Addressing the Intersection: Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living

Addressing the Intersection:
Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living

 

This document was prepared by Prevention Institute with funding from Kaiser Permanente, 2010

Principal authors: Larry Cohen, Rachel Davis, Virginia Lee, Erica Valdovinos

Available online PDF [33p.] at: http://bit.ly/hE564v

“…..Reducing violence in neighborhoods enhances the community environment and allows people to thrive. The prevention of violence facilitates community cohesion and participation, fosters neighborhood improvements, expands employment and educational opportunities, and improves overall health and well-being.

Violence influences where people live, work, and shop; whether parents let kids play outside and walk to school; and whether there is a grocery store or places for

employment in the community. Violence jeopardizes health and safety directly—causing injuries, death, and emotional trauma. Witnessing or directly experiencing violence, as well as the fear of violence, are damaging, with consequences that also contribute to unhealthy behavior and a diminished community environment.

Violence and fear undermine attempts to improve healthy eating and active living, thereby exacerbating existing illnesses and increasing the risk for onset of disease, including chronic disease. They affect young people, low-income communities, and communities of color disproportionately. Violence and food- and activity-related chronic diseases are most pervasive in disenfranchised communities, where they occur more frequently and with greater severity, making them fundamental equity issues.

Chronic disease is a major health challenge—it contributes to premature death, lowers quality of life, and accounts for the dramatic rise in recent healthcare spending. One striking example is the increasing prevalence of diabetes in the United States. Researchers predict that by 2034, the number of people suffering from diabetes will likely double to 44.1 million, and related health care costs will triple to $336 billion.1 Improving healthy eating and active living environments and behaviors is the crucial link to preventing many forms of chronic disease….”

 

Table of Contents

Introduction
Findings .

Violence and fear of violence affect individual behaviors related to healthy eating and active living .

1. Violence and fear of violence cause people to be less physically active and spend less time outdoors

2. Violence and fear of violence alter people’s purchasing patterns, limiting access to healthy food

3. Experiencing and witnessing violence decrease motivation and capability of eating healthfully and being active

    Violence and fear of violence diminish the community environment, reducing support for healthy eating and active living

4. Violence reduces social interactions that would otherwise contribute to community cohesion

5. Violence acts as a barrier to investments in community resources and opportunities that support healthy eating and active living.

Emerging Strategies for Making the Connection between Preventing Violence and Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living

1. Understanding a community-wide approach for preventing violence— especially in highly impacted neighborhoods

Prioritizing Key Risk & Resilience Factors
Convening Partners from Institutions and the Community.

Developing a Multifaceted Plan.

Ensuring Adequate Funding .

2. Applying a violence prevention lens to environmental and policy change strategies to promote healthy eating and active living efforts

Creating Safe Spaces

Promoting Community Development and Employment.

Fostering Social Cohesion.

3. Elevating the role of healthy eating, active living practitioners in fostering safer communities through advocacy and partnerships

Conclusion .
Appendix A: Methodology

Appendix B: Risk and Resilience Factors

Endnotes

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