What is BE Well?
The BE Well pod is focused on physical and built environments' impact on health. You can learn more by visiting the BE Well website.
Basic information from the web
MedlinePlus provides links to authoritative information for the general public on many health issues. You can find summary information, news articles, health check tools, statistics, and a link to selected journal articles. Here are some links to MedlinePlus. Use the search box if you do not find what you are looking for.
Books
Intersections: Health and the Built Environment by Call Number: Arts Library - RA566.7 .I58 2013ISBN: 0874202825Date: 2013
Relevant organizations
- CDC National Center for Environmental HealthNCEH plans, directs, and coordinates a national program to maintain and improve the health of the American people by promoting a healthy environment and by preventing premature death and avoidable illness and disability caused by non-infectious, non-occupational environmental and related factors.
- National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesOne of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health, the mission of the NIEHS is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives.
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: Environmental HealthAn enforcement agency for the County of Los Angeles, Environmental Health works toward maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment for the residents of Los Angeles County.
- City of Los Angeles Department of City PlanningThe Department of City Planning is charged with the responsibility of preparing, maintaining, and implementing a General Plan for the development of the City of Los Angeles, including transportation, housing, open space, and land use.
- City of Los Angeles Department of TransportationLADOT leads transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations in the City of Los Angeles. Transportation planners at LADOT work with the Department of City Planning to develop traffic projections for the City of Los Angeles.
Other useful links
- Health and the Built Environment - Southern California Environmental Report CardThis is an informative report from the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
Cancer prevention and screening
- American Cancer Society — Cancer Facts and Figures 2015A report that provides data on trends in age-adjusted death rates for various types of cancer, the estimated number of new cases for certain cancers by state, and racial/ethnic disparities with respect to the incidence and death rates for selected cancers, among others.
- National Cancer Institute — Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs)A searchable database of 162 interventions related to cancer control. The database includes interventions on topics such as diet/nutrition, HPV vaccination, physical activity, and sun safety.
- National Cancer Institute — Cancer Control PlanetA webpage that includes information on comprehensive cancer control plans in both the U.S. and in foreign countries, displays state cancer profiles, and links to additional resources such as the Cancer Trends Progress Report and the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.
Guidelines and recommendations
- CDC Healthy PlacesThis site includes lots of information on the CDC's Healthy Community Design Initiative (also known as the Built Environment and Health Initiative) and resources for community design.
- Healthy People 2020 — Environmental HealthThis site includes evidence-based recommendations to improve environmental health.
- Measuring the Built Environment for Physical Activity: State of the ScienceThis article discusses built environment measures and how they can be improved.
- Los Angeles Mobility Plan (LA2B)LA2B is a project of the Los Angeles Departments of City Planning and Transportation to envision a new way of moving around the city, using its streets for mobility and beyond.
Data and statistics
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
PolicyMap allows you to map housing, retail, transportation, population demographics, and other data.
- Household Products DatabaseWhat's under the kitchen sink, in the garage, in the bathroom, and on the shelves in the laundry room? Learn more about what's in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.
Searching for research literature
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowPubMed is a very large database with records for millions of articles. It's easy to get overwhelmed! A great way to start your research is to take advantage of PubMed's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Try using the MeSH terms for Environment and Public Health, Facility Design and Construction, Public Facilities, or City Planning. You can browse for MeSH terms in the MeSH database. When you find one that you want to use, click the button on the right that says "Add to search builder." When you're finished adding MeSH terms to your search, you can search PubMed using the "Search PubMed" button. Getting too many results? Try going back to MeSH and checking the box that says "Restrict to MeSH Major Topic." This will limit your search results to only the most relevant articles. Remember you can also use the filters on the left side of the PubMed results screen! Using the Article Type - Review filter is particularly helpful when you're starting your research.