Guest(s)
Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH
Topic
Parks and Physical Activity
Topic Info
Parks can play an important role in any neighborhood as a place for leisure time physical activity. Although physical activity levels are particularly low for minorities, few studies have examined how parks influence physical activity in ethnically diverse neighborhoods.
Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH, senior natural scientist at the RAND Corporation, comes on the show to discuss measuring neighborhood park use: Why it's important, how we do it, and what it tells us. How do neighborhood parks influence physical activity? Which amenities increase physical activity? Which increase park use? What are the results of studies assessing the impact of new gymnasiums, new skate park, new senior centers, and new fitness zone equipment on physical activity? How do neighborhood parks and physical activity programming influence social capital? How is it related to neighborhood safety? How does individual responsibility figure in society's calculation of investing in neighborhood parks and park programming? What are the most cost-effective physical activity interventions? Which are most promising for individuals versus for populations?
Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH, senior natural scientist at the RAND Corporation, comes on the show to discuss measuring neighborhood park use: Why it's important, how we do it, and what it tells us. How do neighborhood parks influence physical activity? Which amenities increase physical activity? Which increase park use? What are the results of studies assessing the impact of new gymnasiums, new skate park, new senior centers, and new fitness zone equipment on physical activity? How do neighborhood parks and physical activity programming influence social capital? How is it related to neighborhood safety? How does individual responsibility figure in society's calculation of investing in neighborhood parks and park programming? What are the most cost-effective physical activity interventions? Which are most promising for individuals versus for populations?
Guest Info
Deborah Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her areas of interest include how structural environmental factors-social and physical-influence health. She has studied how community characteristics affect physical activity among adolescent girls and analyzed neighborhood characteristics and health disparities among children. Cohen has directed numerous projects on sexually transmitted diseases, HIV screening and prevention, and alcohol policy. She has served on technical and advisory panels for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Cohen received her B.A. in filmmaking from Yale University; her M.P.H. in epidemiology from the UCLA School of Public Health; and her M.D. from the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Host
Melanie Cole, M.S.
Original Air Date
9 / 14 / 2010
