UMass Prevention Center for healthier, more active neighborhoods
DP24-004, PRC, Core: Prevention Research Center at UMass Chan
This project helps local health departments and communities make neighborhood changes—like safer streets, sidewalks, and transit—to help people be more physically active and reduce health gaps.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136816 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will work with local health departments, community agencies, and advisory boards to bring proven neighborhood designs that make walking and biking easier. The center keeps an infrastructure for training, sharing evidence, and supporting local partners while running a community-engaged implementation project focused on Community Guide recommendations for built-environment change. Community advisory boards and national partners will help co-design actions, build local capacity, and guide equitable implementation. Activities include policy and planning work, technical assistance, training, and measuring changes in physical activity and disparities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are residents, community organizations, or local health departments in Worcester-area or partner Massachusetts communities interested in implementing built-environment changes to promote physical activity.
Not a fit: People who do not live in partner communities or whose health concerns are unrelated to physical activity or the built environment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could gain safer, more walkable streets and policies that support increased physical activity and smaller health disparities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous community-based built-environment efforts have increased walking in some places, but combining statewide dissemination, capacity building, and an equity focus in this coordinated way is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lemon, Stephenie C. — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Lemon, Stephenie C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.