Listening to Low-Income Patients: Where We Live Matters to Our Health
<p>Chiquita Turner lives in South Los Angeles. In her neighborhood, she’s reluctant to walk her son and niece to the local park — even though it’s less than two blocks away — because she feels unsafe. “I would love to just let my kids roam free and play outside without the fear,” she says.</p><p>In a new article in our series <em>Listening to Low-Income Patients,</em> the Commonwealth Fund’s Shanoor Seervai looks at how the pervasive crime, gang violence, prostitution, and drugs that mark many low-income communities like South L.A. can have far-reaching effects on residents’ health. Commonwealth Fund research reveals how living in these neighborhoods can not only cause anxiety and depression but also limit people’s ability to comfortably exercise outdoors and buy affordable healthy foods. </p>
<p>While friends and family help relieve the burden, there is a pressing need, Seervai says, to address the health challenges people living in poor communities face. </p>