Unsafe neighborhoods, social group activity, and self-rated health.

The purpose of this project was to assess the importance of stressors and social supports in influencing self-rated health in a community sample so that public health programs could be designed to address the root causes of poor health. The municipal health department in Amarillo, Texas, contracted for a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance survey in 2002. The dependant variable for the study was self-rated health. Results suggest that programs targeted at improving neighborhood safety and increasing involvement in organized social groups are needed. Public health agencies may need to collaborate with other governmental agencies in order to craft effective policies.