Jennifer D. Roberts, University of Maryland:
“Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment”
February 11
Palmer Commons
100 Washtenaw Avenue
4th floor, Great Lakes Room
Jennifer D. Roberts is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She is also the Director of the Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment (PHOEBE) Laboratory. Her research interests focus on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity in addition to its impact on obesity and other public health outcomes. More specifically, much of her research has explored the dynamic relationship between environmental, social and cultural determinants of physical activity and using empirical evidence of this relationship to infer complex health outcome patterns and disparities among adults and children.
Dr. Roberts received her Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree from Brown University. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and earned her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Watch our interview with Jennifer Roberts:
“Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment”
Summary:
The mission of the Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment (PHOEBE) Laboratory is to gain an improved understanding of how our built environments—the man-made places and spaces of our neighborhoods and communities, such as buildings, parks, and transportation systems—can impact the health and well-being of individuals of all ages. This presentation describes some of the research that has been conducted within the PHOEBE Laboratory, including the BEAP (Built Environment and Active Play), PEAT (Physical Environment and Active Transportation), and PLIGHT (Purple Line Impact on Neighborhood, Health and Transit) Studies. Highlights and findings from the BEAP and PEAT Studies on youth physical activity, sedentary behavior and active transportation are discussed. In addition, an introductory overview of the PLIGHT Study, a natural experiment examining the health impacts of the forthcoming Purple Line light rail line in the Washington, DC metropolitan area is presented.
