The Neighborhood Environment and Prevention of Childhood Pathology: From Research to Policy

Much is known about the important role that the neighborhood environment plays in shaping and influencing positive development in children and adolescents. Recent advancements in this line of research include development and validation of an objective neighborhood assessment tool, The Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy).  The NIfETy assesses features of the built and social neighborhood environment that are 1) theoretically associated with positive and/or negative youth development and 2) are salient targets for future structural/environmental interventions.  Since 2005, NIfETy data have been collected on a large cross section of children, adolescents and young adults and associated with a range of outcomes including walking to school, academic performance, obesity, childhood depression, anxiety, and risk-taking propensity; young adult drug taking and underage drinking. More than 20 separate studies have been conducted which have validated the NIfETy as a potent predictor of youth pathology and development. A summary of these investigations and their implications for prevention will be discussed. In addition, investigators have begun to explore the utility of the NIfETy as a tool for driving policies and environmental interventions.  Two promising examples of how to move from research to policy using NIfETy data will be presented.