title: Communities matter: the relationship between neighborhoods and health.
abstract: Understanding the link between neighborhood conditions (both physical and social) and health outcomes is an essential step toward ameliorating health disparities in low-income and high-risk minority populations. This commentary discusses the evidence that the neighborhood is a key social determinant of health and describes tools that can be used to help overcome disparities in community health.
authors.affiliation: Carolinas HealthCare System, Department of Family Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, 2001 Vail Ave, Ste 400, Charlotte, NC 28207, USA. Michael.dulin@carolinashealthcare.org
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dulin
authors.forename: Hazel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tapp
mesh_terms: D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006798:Housing / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support