Public Health: Sidewalks
Public health plays a larger role in our lives than we may realize. We chose a sidewalk to represent public health because of its numerous benefits. It is one of the easiest ways to become healthier. Sidewalks play a role in public health because they promote health and safety. Sidewalks make physical activity far more accessible for those who who live in urban areas. They also prevent accidents involving pedestrians in residential areas. Sidewalks are useful for people of any age whether it is a child riding a bike, friends trying to exercise by walking around the neighborhood, or mothers walking with strollers. Sidewalks allow people to be more active without being fearful of their safety.
A new study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine that looked at data from about eleven thousand survey participants in eleven countries came to the conclusion that those who live in a urban neighborhood are twice as likely to be physically active as those who live in the suburbs.
Not being physically active can cause many health problems problems including obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, and even some types of cancers. It can carry a risk burden close to that of smoking. Walking, bicycling, running, roller blading and many more exercises that can be done on the sidewalk can help prevent inactivity that can cause these diseases.
Many think of public health in terms of medicine and health departments however, plays a very large role in our lives.
-Jessica, Nayab, Tiffany, Stephanie, Zainab,
source: http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news.aspx?s=7138
