title: Optimizing Scoring and Sampling Methods for Assessing Built Neighborhood Environment Quality in Residential Areas.
abstract: Optimization of existing measurement tools is necessary to explore links between aspects of the neighborhood built environment and health behaviors or outcomes. We evaluate a scoring method for virtual neighborhood audits utilizing the Active Neighborhood Checklist (the Checklist), a neighborhood audit measure, and assess street segment representativeness in low-income neighborhoods. Eighty-two home neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Cardiovascular Health/Needs Assessment (NCT01927783) participants were audited using Google Street View imagery and the Checklist (five sections with 89 total questions). Twelve street segments per home address were assessed for (1) Land-Use Type; (2) Public Transportation Availability; (3) Street Characteristics; (4) Environment Quality and (5) Sidewalks/Walking/Biking features. Checklist items were scored 0-2 points/question. A combinations algorithm was developed to assess street segments' representativeness. Spearman correlations were calculated between built environment quality scores and Walk Score®, a validated neighborhood walkability measure. Street segment quality scores ranged 10-47 (Mean = 29.4 ± 6.9) and overall neighborhood quality scores, 172-475 (Mean = 352.3 ± 63.6). Walk scores®ranged 0-91 (Mean = 46.7 ± 26.3). Street segment combinations' correlation coefficients ranged 0.75-1.0. Significant positive correlations were found between overall neighborhood quality scores, four of the five Checklist subsection scores, and Walk Scores®(r= 0.62,p< 0.001). This scoring method adequately captures neighborhood features in low-income, residential areas and may aid in delineating impact of specific built environment features on health behaviors and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program, Office of Intramural Training and Education, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. joel.adu-brimpong@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adu-Brimpong
authors.affiliation: Department of Global and Community Health, School of Public Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. nathan.coffey4@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.affiliation: Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. colby.ayers@UTSouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Colby
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. berrigad@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berrigan
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. leah.yingling@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Leah R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Yingling
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program, Office of Intramural Training and Education, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. samantha.thomas@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. valerie.mitchell@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. chaarushi.ahuja@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Chaarushi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. joshua.rivers@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivers
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. jacob.hartz@nih.gov.|Division of Cardiology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. jacob.hartz@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartz
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. tiffany.powell-wiley@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Tiffany M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Powell-Wiley
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001642:Bicycling; D004219:District of Columbia; D004779:Environment Design; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D012107:Research Design; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014186:Transportation; D016138:Walking
keywords: Active Neighborhood Checklist; Google Street View; Walk Score®; Washington D.C. Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment; built neighborhood environment; environment quality; residential neighborhoods; virtual audits