Coercive Sexual Environments: Development and Validation of a Scale.

In this article, we present the results of our efforts to develop and test a scale to operationalize and measure a neighborhood-level indicator of coercive sexual environments (CSEs), a construct emerging from our earlier work on safety and sexual threats among young girls living in chronically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Data for this study come from a survey of 124 adult and 79 youth respondents living in public housing in Washington, D.C.

Housing interventions at the neighborhood level and health: a review of the evidence.

A panel of subject matter experts systematically reviewed evidence linking neighborhood-level housing interventions, such as housing programs or policies, to health outcomes. One of the 10 interventions reviewed--the Housing Choice Voucher Program--had sufficient evidence for implementation or expansion. The evidence showed that voucher holders are less likely to suffer from overcrowding, malnutrition due to food insecurity, and concentrated neighborhood poverty than non-voucher holders.

The relation of the perceived environment to fear, physical activity, and health in public housing developments: evidence from Chicago.

Within the realm of active living in urban neighborhoods in the United States, only a few studies have addressed the factors that promote or inhibit active living among residents in public housing. This paper examines the environmental and interpersonal factors associated with active living and health in public housing. We specifically examine the environmental predictors of fear of crime, and whether fear is related to moderate physical activity, and in turn, health and obesity.

Surveying a Chicago public housing development: methodological challenges and lessons learned.

During the winter and spring of 2003, the Survey Research Laboratory conducted a survey of residents of the Ida Wells and Madden Park housing developments on Chicago's near-south side. This article reviews existing research findings on using indigenous interviewers and reports the findings about the benefits and challenges of using residents as interviewers versus drawing from a regular pool of interviewers. Specifically, the authors talk about the challenges faced in using indigenous interviewers and then look at some data quality indicators among these two groups of interviewers, including cooperation rates, item nonresponse, and differences in responses to sensitive questions.

The health status of HOPE VI public housing residents.

The purpose of this study is to provide new data on the relationship between housing quality and health status for people in five HOPE VI public housing developments around the country. HOPE VI is a federal program to replace or redevelop some of the poorest quality public housing in the country. A special survey of residents of these developments was conducted while they lived in HOPE VI housing before its redevelopment.