Neighborhoods: Impact on Child Health and Development

The impact of poverty on children’s physical and mental health, and on their education has profound long term and intergenerational consequences in limited employment options and limited income, with limited residential options to older houses in more crowded neighborhoods. In these settings, there is an increased risk of exposure to environmental toxins, like lead and air pollution, with adverse physical and mental health outcomes, particularly for children, which, along with limited access to quality healthcare, further compromises children’s health and function, thus limiting future opportunities for success and perpetuating the plight of poverty. This intergenerational pattern can be represented as a Cycle of Health Disparities, which provides a conceptual framework for developing intervention strategies. Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities is an annual, collaborative interdisciplinary research and training program for university students, who recognize the impact of adverse social, economic, and environmental factors on children’s health, growth, learning, development and engage in creative projects to Break the Cycle and reduce children’s health disparities and, in the process, they gain insight and skills to become future leaders in our society. The projects from the students who participated in our 18th Annual Break the Cycle Program are featured in this book.