Priority Area: Safety Why is safety so important to health?
Healthy and safe environments allow people to access resources and make healthy choices they might not otherwise be able to make. According to a brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Social and economic features of neighborhoods have been linked with mortality, general health status, disability, birth outcomes, chronic conditions, health behaviors and other risk factors for chronic disease, as well as with mental health, injuries, violence and other important health indicators.” People living in unsafe neighborhoods tend to have fewer options for active transportation or open spaces to be active, further influencing their ability to participate in healthy behaviors.
Additionally, victims of violence are at increased risk of depression, substance abuse, anxiety, reproductive health problems, and suicidal behavior, according to the World Health Organization’s “World Report on Violence and Health.
