Advisory Committee Chair
Cynthia Petri
Advisory Committee Members
Stephen Glasser
Lonnie Hannon
Demarc Hickson
Virginia Howard
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2012
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in adults with a tremendous cost burden to the United States. Hypertension, a risk factor for CVD, affects approximately 65 million people in the United Sates and is a major cause of health disparities between African Americans and white Americans. Previous research suggests that environmental factors are likely to be important in shaping the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension. However, this research has been limited to the analysis of census and administrative data. Utilizing the Jackson Heart Study, a longitudinal cohort study aimed at investigating the causes of CVD in African Americans, this study explores specific neighborhood characteristics including problems, violence and socioeconomic status and their association with hypertension prevalence and incidence. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was associated with hypertension prevalence; however, none of the neighborhood characteristics were associated with hypertension incidence. Although the findings are mixed, this study answers the call of investigating the relationship between specific neighborhood characteristics and health. In addition, by investigating neighborhood characteristics, it also informs the development of ecological interventions designed to target environmental problems that are more likely to place individuals at risk for hypertension.
Recommended Citation
Wiggins, Corey Cortez, "The Association of Perceived Neighborhood Problems and Hypertension in the Jackson Heart Study" (2012). All ETDs from UAB. 3324.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3324