ANOVA-ANalysis Of VAriance. ANOVA is used to determine if differences found between groups of data are statistically significant. ANOVA compares variation around the mean values of groups of measurements – for example, household VMT at different levels of land use mix near households. BMI – Body Mass Index, a height / weight ratio. A BMI of over 25 is classified as overweight, and 30 is general...

BACKGROUND In order to improve our understanding of the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, it is important to identify associations between specific geographic characteristics and physical activity behaviors. PURPOSE Examine relationships between observed physical activity behavior and measures of the built environment collected on 291 street segments in Indiana...

Editor’s note: NEHA strives to provide up­ to-date and relevant information on envi­ ronmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column from the Environmen­ tal Health Services Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven­ tion (CDC) in every issue of the Journal. In this column, EHSB and guest authors from across CDC will...

Humanity's transition from the outdoor environment to the built environment (BE) has reduced our exposure to microbial diversity. The relative importance of factors that contribute to the composition of human-dominated BE microbial communities remains largely unknown. In their article in this issue, Chase and colleagues (J. Chase, J. Fouquier, M. Zare, D. L. Sonderegger, R. Knight, S. T. Kelley...

Despite growing evidence of the direct and indirect effects of the built environment on public health, planners, who shape the built environment, and public health professionals, who protect the public's health, rarely interact. Most public health professionals have little experience with urban planners, zoning boards, city councils, and others who make decisions about the built environment. Li...

BACKGROUND The built environment (BE) is said to influence local obesity rates. Few studies have explored causal pathways between home-neighborhood BE variables and health outcomes such as obesity. Such pathways are likely to involve both physical activity and diet. METHODS The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS II) was a longitudinal cohort of 440 adult residents of King Co, WA. Home addresses were ...

Decay of trachyte used as building stone in urban environment was investigated through the analysis of crusts and patinas found on trachyte of the Euganean Hills in the Renaissance city walls of Padua, northeastern Italy. Mineralogical and microstructural characteristics of the alteration products, as well as majorand trace-element chemical composition, were determined by optical microscopy, SE...

This paper deals with the human adaptability to its built environment. The built environment as we know it rarely finds itself adapting to its surrounding context, whether it be on the level of interaction with humans or the climate. Humans and nature both are in a constant state of flux; moving, changing, sensing, and reacting to their context and information they gather and perceive. A barrie...