Comments on: Study: Fewer Cars on the Street = Healthier Kids http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alon Levy http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198581 Alon Levy Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:44:33 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198581 An alternative explanation could be poverty. Poor people have a harder time affording healthy food; they're also likely to live in food deserts. At the same time, high-traffic areas are often less desirable to live in, so poor people move in because the rents are lower; poor neighborhoods are also likelier to have highways and highway access roads shoved down their throats. An alternative explanation could be poverty. Poor people have a harder time affording healthy food; they’re also likely to live in food deserts. At the same time, high-traffic areas are often less desirable to live in, so poor people move in because the rents are lower; poor neighborhoods are also likelier to have highways and highway access roads shoved down their throats.

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198421 Ian Turner Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:54:28 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198421 BicyclesOnly, sure, but you could not draw the opposite conclusion. Cheers, --Ian BicyclesOnly, sure, but you could not draw the opposite conclusion.

Cheers,

–Ian

]]> By: BicyclesOnly http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198361 BicyclesOnly Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:01:46 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198361 Ot seems to me that if the kids in the study had PFTs administered, and the ones who were obese were performing at or in excess of the published norms for their demographic profile, you could rule out pulmonary deficiency as a cause of the obesity. Ot seems to me that if the kids in the study had PFTs administered, and the ones who were obese were performing at or in excess of the published norms for their demographic profile, you could rule out pulmonary deficiency as a cause of the obesity.

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198341 Ian Turner Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:17:26 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198341 BicyclesOnly, Measuring pulmonary function wouldn't be adequate because of factor interactions. Both activity and pulmonary function are independently affected by traffic, and they also both affect each other and are affected by obesity status. In order to make the distinction using statistical methods, one would have to find an instrument, a variable that affects one factor without itself being affected by either. Not sure what that would be, maybe proximity to chemical plants or traffic-controlled airborne particle count? Cheers, --Ian BicyclesOnly,

Measuring pulmonary function wouldn’t be adequate because of factor interactions. Both activity and pulmonary function are independently affected by traffic, and they also both affect each other and are affected by obesity status. In order to make the distinction using statistical methods, one would have to find an instrument, a variable that affects one factor without itself being affected by either. Not sure what that would be, maybe proximity to chemical plants or traffic-controlled airborne particle count?

Cheers,

–Ian

]]> By: Gussy http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198291 Gussy Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:55:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198291 @ Debbie. Thank you! I have been looking for something along those lines to get something started in my town in Canada. @ Debbie. Thank you! I have been looking for something along those lines to get something started in my town in Canada.

]]> By: BicyclesOnly http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198271 BicyclesOnly Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:04:23 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198271 Too bad the study didn't include pulmonary funcion tests, so that the alternate factor associated with risk of higher BMI--decrement in pulmonary function due to nearby traffic during pulmonary development in children--coud have been confirmed or disproved. Fear of traffic and pulmonary function deficit are two very different mechanisms for producing obesity; the possbility that either might be entirely responsible for the observed effect makes it hard to knwo what to do, except for simply getting rid of traffic (not a bad idea, of course). It would be great to see a follow up study with PFTs here in NYC. Too bad the study didn’t include pulmonary funcion tests, so that the alternate factor associated with risk of higher BMI–decrement in pulmonary function due to nearby traffic during pulmonary development in children–coud have been confirmed or disproved. Fear of traffic and pulmonary function deficit are two very different mechanisms for producing obesity; the possbility that either might be entirely responsible for the observed effect makes it hard to knwo what to do, except for simply getting rid of traffic (not a bad idea, of course). It would be great to see a follow up study with PFTs here in NYC.

]]> By: Andy B from Jersey http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198221 Andy B from Jersey Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:19:07 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198221 Makes total sense! I've always argued that volume is the critical factor to determin if a road is bicycle friendly too. A road could be narrow and have a 50mph speed limit but if only one car is passing you every ten minutes, then the other two limiting factors to bicycling safety (speed limit and width) are mostly mute and the road is relatively safe to ride. Another good reason to site elementary schools (in particular), deep within neighborhoods and off the major roads. Makes total sense!

I’ve always argued that volume is the critical factor to determin if a road is bicycle friendly too. A road could be narrow and have a 50mph speed limit but if only one car is passing you every ten minutes, then the other two limiting factors to bicycling safety (speed limit and width) are mostly mute and the road is relatively safe to ride.

Another good reason to site elementary schools (in particular), deep within neighborhoods and off the major roads.

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198211 Ian Turner Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:18:41 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198211 Evan, note that the study "Controlled for a wide variety of factors", which presumably included population density. Evan, note that the study “Controlled for a wide variety of factors”, which presumably included population density.

]]> By: Debbie http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198201 Debbie Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:08:56 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198201 for info speficially on the challenges of walking/biking to school in rural areas, see: http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/local/4317/4345 for info speficially on the challenges of walking/biking to school in rural areas, see:

http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/local/4317/4345

]]> By: Debbie http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198191 Debbie Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:01:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198191 Evan- good question about rural areas. It is not necessarily healthier to live in rural places. The Rural Assistance Center website had good info about the reasons why: http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/obesity/ It's not easy to walk or bike in rural communities because land use is designed primarily for driving. Destinations are spread out and connected by busy state highways and thoroughfares without bike lanes or safe street crossings. Traffic may be thinner on back country roads, but in order to get to places like shopping or services, one has to get in the car and drive. Evan- good question about rural areas.

It is not necessarily healthier to live in rural places. The Rural Assistance Center website had good info about the reasons why: http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/obesity/

It’s not easy to walk or bike in rural communities because land use is designed primarily for driving. Destinations are spread out and connected by busy state highways and thoroughfares without bike lanes or safe street crossings. Traffic may be thinner on back country roads, but in order to get to places like shopping or services, one has to get in the car and drive.

]]> By: Evan http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/02/05/study-fewer-cars-on-the-street-healthier-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-198181 Evan Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:23:36 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=143741#comment-198181 So does this mean it's healthier to live in rural areas, where traffic is thinner? So does this mean it’s healthier to live in rural areas, where traffic is thinner?

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