Institutional racism dampens neighborhood walkability of populations of color in U.S. -- study

Protesters take part in a demonstration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the United States, on June 20, 2020. (Photo by Alan Chin/Xinhua)

Established institutional racism and redlining in the United States have made neighborhood walkability a moot point for populations of color, according to a recent study.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Despite living in neighborhoods with higher walkability scores, Black, Hispanic, and Asian people were less likely to engage in physical activity near their homes, said a recent study from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).

This trend was tied to differences in other built environmental factors, like perceived safety and neighborhood quality, that could discourage individuals from going outside near their homes, said the researchers of the study, which was published in the journal Obesity.

It pointed out that established institutional racism and redlining in the United States have made neighborhood walkability a moot point for populations of color.

"In cities and counties across the U.S., the legacy of racial residential segregation and policies like redlining resulted in poorer built physical activity environments, characterized by decreased walkability, street connectivity, and green space, and increased pollution that disproportionately impact communities of color," the study's lead author, Monica Wang, ScD, associate professor of community health sciences at BUSPH, said in a public statement.