Montefiore Einstein Receives $2.9 Million from NIH to Examine Neighborhood Redevelopment’s Impact on Heart Health in the Bronx

Neighborhood redevelopment, which transforms low-income neighborhoods through rezoning, new construction and renovation, can lead to health benefits, such as greater access to fresh produce, improved housing and more green spaces. But these advantages may not extend to all area residents. More information is needed about the impact of redevelopment, also known as urban renewal, on health, particularly if it contributes to inequities among middle-aged and older adults.

Researchers led by Earle C. Chambers, PhD, MPH, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, have received a four-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how a recent neighborhood redevelopment effort affects cardiovascular disease (CVD) among older Black and Hispanic residents in the Bronx.

“Neighborhood redevelopment is a powerful tool to transform an area, but we need to learn how it affects human health, for good or ill,” said Dr. Chambers, Professor and Director of Research, Department of Family and Social Medicine, and Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health, and Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

The Heart of the Matter

The study will focus on CVD, which accounts for one in four deaths in the United States and is the country’s leading cause of mortality. Well-known risk factors for CVD, such as hypertension and diabetes, typically emerge in middle age—the time of life when health inequities associated with the disease widen. CVD risk can be affected by nonmedical factors such as economic and housing stability, education level, neighborhood features and social experiences—all of which can be influenced by redevelopment efforts.

The research team, which includes collaborators at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, will use several approaches to measure the impact of both medical and nonmedical risk factors on cardiovascular health to better understand how redevelopment affects cardiovascular health over time. With access to de-identified electronic medical records of more than 15,000 Bronx residents, the researchers will compare the prevalence of CVD events (such as heart attacks and strokes) and CVD risk factors (such as hypertension) among cohorts of midlife and older residents of two Bronx neighborhoods: the Jerome Avenue area, which is undergoing redevelopment, and the Southern Boulevard area, which is not. Plans for Jerome Avenue include adding more than 4,000 housing units, rezoning areas to increase retail businesses, establishing new schools and upgrading public parks.

Walking Tours and Computer Modeling

The team will also conduct walking tours on which they will meet with and survey 300 Jerome Avenue residents to better understand how their neighborhood’s ongoing redevelopment has personally affected them and their access to healthful resources. The survey will include questions about food intake and physical activity as well as on social needs, such as residents’ housing status and economic stability.

“The combination of resources and how people perceive access to them likely contribute to their overall health and how they prioritize heart-healthy behaviors,” said Dr. Chambers.

The redevelopment study will also use computer simulation modeling to predict the long-term effects of redevelopment on CVD-related outcomes and inform future redevelopment strategies.

“Our study will help show whether or not redevelopment efforts are moving communities forward,” said Dr. Chambers.

The grant, titled “Bronx Neighborhood Redevelopment and CVD in mid-life and older adults,” is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the NIH (1R01HL16).