MIEH331 Built Enviro Final Exam Guide

In at least 3 sentences, explain the relationship between the built environment and obesity.

It may not seem like it if you're not paying attention, but the built environment around you has a significant impact on the food you eat and the amount of physical activity you get each day - two big factors that affect obesity. To begin with, living in an area that is considered walkable is going to put a lot of your needs within walking distance, using a safe and defined network of sidewalks that encourages using walking or biking as transportation instead of cars. Even if it's just going to the grocery store and carrying groceries back, that small bit of extra physical activity that you get in a walkable area will add up over time and put you at an advantage over people who rely on their cars. In addition to the walkability of a neighborhood, the social factors like crime and litter also contribute to how much physical activity someone gets. If their neighborhood is highly walkable, but feels unsafe, then that person is not going to get as much benefit as they would in a place they felt safer. Additionally, the food choices in your environment play a big role in the diet a person chooses to eat; if the closest and most affordable option is McDonalds or convenience stores, it makes it difficult to eat healthy.

Who was the 19th Century physician that first used mapping and natural experiments to stop an outbreak of cholera in London before disease transmission was known?

John Snow

Name one of the 7 principles of a healthy home

Keep it: Clean Dry Pest Free Well Maintained Ventilated Contaminant Free Safe

Crowded classrooms can trigger subjective feelings of loss of privacy, overstimulation, and distraction. These factors can then lead to which of the following? Select all that apply.

Learned helplessness Attention overload Cognitive fatigue

Sprawl is not a single pattern - different places sprawl in different ways. Because of this, it's helpful to use transects to view these differences along a spectrum of factors including which of the following? Select all that apply.

-Density -Connectivity -Automobile Dependence -Geological Landscapes -Land Use Mix -Highway Infrastructures

In the years following World War II, what were the factors that affected affordable housing?

-Increased mortgage insurance for the FHA -Unprecedented building boom -Race and Veteran status -None of the above ****-All of the above

List and explain two factors that contribute to the "Urban Heat Island" effect.

-Loss of trees that would otherwise cool a city through evapotranspiration -Extensive dark surfaces, such as roadways, parking lots, and rooftops, which absorb heat and reradiate it during the night when a place would otherwise cool -Concentration of heat sources, such as boilers and generators -Physical features such as "canyons" between tall buildings that concentrate heat

Which two professions were not considered noxious trades?

-Tanning -**Grocery store clerk -Butchering **-Cook -None of the above

Which of these are important concepts to understand how urban sprawl is formed?

-Transportation revolution -Deeply rooted cultural values that romanticize citizen farmers -The popularity of grid configurations -The pull of the suburbs ***-All of the above

During this module we learned a lot about vulnerability. Populations may be made vulnerable by the following factors:

-age -disability status -socioeconomic status **-All of the above

List at least two major factors that influenced the development and expansion of residential suburbs.

1. Pollution from the industry in the cities, whether that be air, noise, or water, was unpleasant to live around and detrimental to the health of the residents. 2. Redlining and discriminatory federal mortgage policies offering low-cost, subsidized housing to white people wanting to move out of the areas deemed "red" (also known as white flight).

Based on the article by Frank et al (2004) which investigated the probability of obesity by minutes spent in car per day, the odds of being obese linearly increased for all race-gender groups for every _________ minutes spent in car per day.

100

What is a School Environmental Health Audit? Why is such an audit necessary?

A School Environmental Health Audit is a process that brings different levels of the community that are connected to the school together to identify areas of the school environment that need to be improved. It also helps to see what interventions are working and what still needs to be fixed. It's necessary to ensure that the school environment is as healthy as possible for the children attending, in terms of noise, crowding, lighting, temperature and humidity, food, etc. Just like with other areas of public health, continually researching, developing policies/interventions, and then assessing the effectiveness is important within schools to make sure that the goals are being met with proper resources.

Describe the term "Walkable community" (1 point) and give an example of what a "Walkable community" or "Walkable city" looks like (1 point).

A walkable community is one that has a good mix of land use, street connectivity, and residential density that places necessities in close proximity, allowing walking as the main form of transportation. A walkable city may look like Maple Lawn in Fulton, MD, with townhomes, single-family homes, and apartments all in the same neighborhood, connected to the town center by a network of safe and well defined paths. These sidewalks and paths are wide enough for multi use, set back from the road for pedestrian safety, and lined with grass and trees for aesthetics. The town center has a grocery store, one fast food restaurant, office buildings, a gas station, and several retail and restaurant businesses, mainly owned by local individuals, as well as the police station. Everything the residents of Maple Lawn need is within walking distance of their homes, even the local elementary, middle, and high school.

Briefly describe the at least one advantage (1 point) and one disadvantage (1 point) of the practice known as Zoning.

Advantage: Ability to separate industry and residential areas for the health of the surrounding community. Disadvantage: Those making the zoning laws have the ability to leverage them in their favor and discriminate against others.

Urban sprawl is best defined as

(A.) Sprawl is not a single pattern; different places sprawl in different ways and sprawl has different meanings on different spatial scales (B.) In general, sprawl refers to the way land is used, the way people travel from place to place, and even the way a place "feels" *****(C.) A and B

How did Federal Housing Authority (FHA) policies hasten the decay of older urban neighborhoods?

(A.) The FHA favored construction of multifamily projects over single-family dwellings (B.) Appraisal schemes undervalued older properties, introducing bias in favor of suburbs (C.) Repair loans were kept small and of short duration discouraging improvement and maintenance of older, urban properties ****-Answers (B.) and (C.) only ^^Because the FHA favored construction of SINGLE FAMILY OVER MULTIUNIT PROJECTS

The level and perception of crime and disorder within an individual's community has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes such as: ____________

Anxiety

Executive Order 12898 outlined the Federal Government's role in environmental equality and included which of the following? (select all that apply)

**-Creation of the Office of Environmental Justice **-Conduct and maintain current data on human health and environmental quality of EJ communities **-Encourage public participation and provide equal access to pertinent information **-All of the above

Which of the following is NOT a criticism of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process?

**-Engagement of non-experts in the process -Minimizing or ignoring information other than quantitative data -Minimizing or ignoring information other than quantitative data -Overemphasis of carcinogenesis

Which of the following are true about Edwin Chadwick? Select all that apply.

**-He produced a report entitled "The Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population" -He was instrumental in ending the yellow fever epidemics in Philadelphia in the early 1800's **-He demonstrated a clear link between living conditions and public health -He informed the Baltimore Academy of Medicine that the city needed cleaner air -A, B and C

Which of the following are components of the three-legged stool of environmental justice? (select all that apply)

**-Lack of access to high quality health-promoting infrastructure **-Differential Burden and Exposure to Environmental Hazards and LULUs -Lead Exposures in low quality-housing stock **-High Concentration of Psychosocial Stressors

Describe the relationship between sprawl and waterways (1 point). How does sprawl influence water quality? (1 point).

As sprawl continues and you need more and more water to be carried over further distances, both our drinking water and our waterways can be negatively impacted. With more hard surfaces that cannot absorb rainwater, we will experience more run-off that will likely be contaminated with car pollutants and fertilizers. This run-off has the potential to transport harmful chemicals and bacteria into our surface and ground water that can then impact our drinking water and the health of the environmental systems. Additionally, this heavy run-off has the potential to impact the soil erosion levels and ultimately the health of our rivers and streams.

According to the CDC, the most important areas for prevention and treatment of obesity are:

Behavior and the environment

Provide an example of a health vulnerability and a possible solution for this vulnerability that is related to the built environment.

Blindness would be an example of a health vulnerability and street/sidewalk design can either help or hinder this vulnerability. In terms of safety for a blind pedestrian, the sidewalk needs to be paved, clearly defined, and set back far from the road with grass (or something of another texture) separating the pedestrian and car travel. Additionally, when crossing the street, crosswalks with audible signals are beneficial for people who are blind, as long as the timing is set for the person to cross the street safely.

Name one household item that can produce VOCs.

Chemicals that become gases at room temp Enviro tobacco smoke Paints Cleaning chemicals Carpets Pressed wood furniture Air fresheners Vinyl floors

What is the term given to streets designed to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and public transit as well as motor vehicles?

Complete streets

What are the built environment attributes most consistently related to total physical activity?

Mixed land use, street connectivity, and residential density

Which federal agency has the primary responsibility of housing policies, laws, and finances is the US?

Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Excessively ________________ can increase the risk of upper respiratory infections while excessive _____________ promotes the growth of mold.

Dry air Humidity

According to EPA, Environmental Justice is defined as:

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Many of the health effects of sprawl are distributed equally across different populations, and some people bear the same risk than others. T/F?

False, health effects of sprawl are distributed UNequally with some populations bearing heavier risks than others

The first technique introduced for water purification was coal filtration, but as late as 1880 there were only three such systems in the United States. T/F

False, sand filtration

In at least 2 sentences, explain the term "Geographic Neutrality" (1 point) and give an example to illustrate the term (1 point).

Geographic neutrality is a term that essentially assumes all environmental policy will be equally applicable, regardless of geographic location or other contributing factors. In regards to the Clean Air Act, while it is a federal policy, there is leeway for the states to design and implement a plan that meets the needs of their specific area. Recognizing that each state or region may not have matching needs and allowing for differences among state legislation shows that geographic neutrality is not valid for most needs.

Some communities adopt a ______________________ policy that requires housing developments to include units that are affordable to persons with low or moderate incomes.

Inclusionary zoning

Public Health, city planning, and civil engineering in the United States evolved together as a result of efforts to reduce the harmful effects of rapid ________________ and _______________, particularly infectious effects.

Industrialization and urbanization

________________ minimizes the need for pesticides by creating inhospitable environments for insects and rodents, removing sources of food, blocking their entry into buildings, and placing traps.

Integrated pest management (IPM)

In the United States, which source does the majority of the population rely on for its drinking water?

Municipal drinking water systems

What was the first example of the New Urbanism movement?

Neotraditional neighborhood development

Which of the following types of development is characterized by a return to traditional planning principles before the excessive use of cars?

New Urbanism Movement

What is the historical term used to describe those professions that were disreputable due to them causing a great deal of pollution?

Noxious trades

Select one of the principles of Smart Growth and explain why it is important.

One of the main principles of Smart Growth that stands out to me is the importance of having mixed land uses and community centers. Since we know that physical activity is the most helpful and least harmful manner to maintain your health and we also know that land use, street connectivity, and density are impacting physical activity the most, I think that this principle of Smart Growth can be hugely beneficial for the health of the community. When you have these walkable communities built around neighborhood centers, it keeps your necessities in close proximity and allows you to use exercise as your main transportation and reduce automobile air pollution. It also works to develop a greater sense of community within the residents, as the close proximity of services and shared spaces will increase interaction, especially among children using recreation spaces and facilities.

Current transportation policies generally support and contribute to continued sprawl. Describe two possible changes in transportation policy that would instead support public health by promoting Smart Growth.

One thought is to implement policies like congestion pricing in an effort to discourage people from traveling during the most congested traffic times. By placing a toll on a road during certain hours, the hope is that you would see a diminished number of cars on the road during those times, just like by raising cigarette taxes, the number of people smoking was reduced. Another idea is to implement the complete streets that were mentioned earlier in the quiz that aim to accommodate all types of transportation (walking, biking, cycling, public transportation systems), in addition to the cars already on the road.

Select one vulnerable group that was mentioned in the lectures for this week and provide an example of a burden or problem that this specific group faces (1 point). Discuss how the burden you described can be mitigated (1 point).

Our guest speaker, Mr. Archer spoke about the residents of Uniontown, Alabama and the burden they face from the pollution that stems from the landfill there. Even though Uniontown is an incorporated town, meaning that they pay taxes and receive the benefits of those taxes, the land where the landfill sits is considered unincorporated, so the families that live there do not get to vote for the policies that affect them. Additionally, Alabama is the recipient of the trash from multiple states, so the residents of the towns like Uniontown, are burdened with not only their trash, but the trash of other people as well, and the health effects that are associated with it. Typically these other states sending their trash are more affluent with more political capital than in places like Uniontown where the population is predominantly Black with lower education levels. This burden can be mitigated through the community based participatory research that Mr. Archer described, in which research is conducted collaboratively with residents, that increases the local community knowledge and helps them build social capital amongst their community. By educating the residents affected by this problem and gathering data on their experiences, researchers can help give the residents empirical data to be used to influence local governments to understand that their health is being negatively impacted.

What are "point" and "non-point" sources of water pollution? (1 point) Provide one example for each type of pollution. (1 point)

Point and non-point are two terms used to describe whether the source of pollution comes from one stationary place (point) or if it is the result of many combined sources (non-point). An example of a point water pollution source would be a drainpipe coming off of a factory and a non-point water pollution source would be street run-off water.

Explain the difference between primary and secondary air pollutants.

Primary air pollutants are emitted directly from the source of pollution, while secondary air pollutants are formed as the result of reactions of compounds in the atmosphere.

After the first towns were established in the New World early colonists used ___________ and ________________, which then often overflowed in the low-lying land of coastal settlements

Privy pits and cesspools

______________ act synergistically to raise levels of stress, increase vulnerability, and limit capacity of burdened populations in disadvantaged neighborhoods to overcome disease and increase health status.

Psychosocial stressors

In your own words, explain the relationship between Psychosocial Stressors and Health (1 point). Provide an example to support your answer (2 points).

Psychosocial stressors are situations or experiences a person has in relation to their environment that can result in negative stress responses that can ultimately impact your health. For example, if someone lives in a neighborhood that lacks resources, is crowded, and has a high crime rate, over time they will experience a building stress load on their body. Each of these stressors has the potential to elicit physiological responses that can impact things like your blood pressure, but experienced over long periods of time and stacked on top of one another, they have the potential to seriously harm a person's health.

Briefly describe the practice known as "redlining". Use at least 2 sentences.

Redlining began as the creation of residential security maps, categorizing areas using a color coding system to convey how "safe" a bank's investment was. The scale held white businessmen at the top as the most trustworthy and least likely to default on their mortgage in green areas and immigrants, low class whites, and Black people in red areas, meaning they were most likely to not pay their bank loan back. This process alone made it near impossible for folks in the red zones to get mortgages and own property; however, it was exacerbated by the Federal Housing Authority covenants that explicitly prohibited Black families from owning or renting properties in these federally funded suburbs. These policies and practices have had an immense impact on the generational wealth of Black people, their communities, and their health that white people simply haven't had to deal with.

Which of the following are health effects associated with exposure to lead-based paint? (Select all that apply)

Reduced IQ Learning disabilities Cardiovascular disease Kidney damage Colon cancer Impaired hearing **All of the above

Explain the term "Residential Segregation". Provide at least 2 sentences.

Residential segregation refers to the policies and environmental and social conditions that favor white over Black communities, and that contribute to the health disparities between the two populations on both individual and community levels. White people have been given lower mortgage rates to suburban homes, while Black people were denied entirely, and were able to live in safe, clean environments that maintained access to employment and leisure. Along with other factors experienced in impoverished areas, Black communities forced to remain in urban cities by residential segregation experience cumulative exposure of multiple negative health influences, contributing to the disparity between the two groups.

Describe the term "Salutogenesis" (1 point). Provide an example of a Salutogen (1 point).

Salutogenesis is a term that describes a full and complete understanding of a community through a biological, individual, and/or population level and the other included aspects that contribute to positive health (physical, social, economic, etc.). Examples of salutogens are many things that we've discussed in reference to the built environment, like greenspace and quality recreation facilities.

Smog is an example of what type of a pollutant?

Secondary

What is the term used to describe a set of symptoms reported by people living or working in buildings with indoor air problems?

Sick building syndrome

The principles of ______________ focus on preserving open space, redeveloping core areas and infill sites, promoting mixed land uses and town centers, and creating a greater sense of community.

Smart Growth

What is the term for describing the impact of the increasing number of people in a room that is positively correlated with increasing levels of aggression?

Social density

One example of a factor that is associated with health disparities within populations is ____________.

Socioeconomic status

Describe how sprawl can undermine social capital (1 point). Provide an example of how sprawl can contribute to a decline in the sense of community (1 point).

Sprawl can work to undermine social capital within a community in a few ways, like decreasing the times you would spontaneously run into someone, preventing mixing of incomes and those with different housing needs, and seriously reducing the time you have available to be active in your community. Sprawl also contributes to people feeling less connected to their community and therefore, less invested in it and it's upkeep/progression. If someone works 30 minutes from their home and ends up utilizing the resources in the work area for quick options, it takes away from the community connections they could've been making if they were eating, shopping, or working out near their home.

Describe the concept of "Universal Design" (1 point). Provide one example of an environment or product which successfully employs universal design (1 point).

The concept of universal design is to design things and the environment to be usable for all people, even those with disabilities, without having to change them to fit the needs of other people. An example of universal design would be an elevator; it has buttons usable for people of all heights and ages that do not require special tools or skills to be able to use, it opens automatically without having to push or pull the door open, anyone can walk or roll onto it, the numbers inside are universally recognized, and it's useful for people who cannot use stairs due to physical limitations.

In at least two sentences, discuss how urban sprawl can influence health.

The heavy reliance on automobiles to get from place to place can have serious implications on the health of the surrounding community. Since everything is located outside of walking distance and you have to take your car everywhere, you're missing out on the benefits of the physical activity you would've gotten if you had walked, even if it was just to and from the store a couple of times a week. Over time, this lack of exercise can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases that are a result of inactivity. Additionally, the high number of automobiles required for a sprawled community negatively contributes to the air quality of the surrounding area, which can lead to or complicate respiratory conditions, like asthma.

Research has shown that low-income and racial or ethnic minority groups have among the highest rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Why is this true? Use at least 3 sentences to answer this question.

There are a few reasons for this disparity among low income and racial or ethnic minority groups. Even though many disadvantaged areas are considered more walkable than their suburban counterparts, often times residents do not feel safe, don't want to walk in an area that has litter and graffiti, or in a place with heavy traffic. Additionally, low-income communities tend to lack access to recreation facilities that are well maintained or have quality equipment, so they don't have the same recreation opportunities. Ultimately, these two factors combined with the lack of healthy food options play a major part in the obesity disparity seen among these groups. When there are no grocery stores nearby and you only have the corner store or 7-11 for your food needs, it makes it incredibly difficult to maintain a healthy diet and puts an disproportionate burden on the community.

What is the term that refers to trust in the "generalized other," a person with whom one has little personal experience, but shares some social networks and expectations of reciprocity.

Thin trust

Health disparities exist when populations differ in their level of disease, injury, or disability; in their exposure to risk factors; and/or in their access to health care. T/F?

True

The urban health penalty is described as a complex of environmental conditions such as deteriorating housing, inadequate access to nutritional food, and scant medical care, and health consequences such as untreated hypertension, cardiovascular disease, intentional and unintentional injuries, and infectious diseases. T/F

True

Zoning has been defined as the practice of allocating different areas of cities for different uses. T/F?

True

In your own words, describe why there is a disconnect between urban planning and public health. Provide at least 2 sentences.

Urban planning and public health have failed to merge concerns about land uses and their effects on the health of the community with the political and socioeconomic influences that contribute to health disparities between populations. Rather than treating urban planning and public health as the complexly intertwined issues that they are, there has been a separation of socioeconomic and biomedical influences that has led to a disregard of the urban health field.

What are the 4 distinct transportation revolutions in America as defined by geographer Peter O. Muller?

Walking horsecar, electric streetcar, recreational auto, freeway NOT: ship and cargo transport