Community Diabetes Initiative

In 2007, investigators from the Community, Health Outcomes and Intervention Research Program (CHOIR) in The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles took to the streets of East and South Los Angeles to assess the ground-level impact of childhood obesity, and its role in diabetes, a growing health problem.  

They partnered with residents, educators and service providers within these communities and zeroed in on questions related to the available healthy food options as well as the quality and utilization of local parks.  They tallied 190 food outlets in East Los Angeles, nearly half of which were fast-food outlets, with 63 percent of those within walking distance of a school. By comparison, they found 62 grocery stores, only 18 percent of which sold fresh fruit and/or vegetables.

Investigators also found that the five community parks within East Los Angeles accounted for only 37.28 acres of open space, which translated to just 0.543 acres per 1,000 residents. In addition, although these parks provided such amenities as walking paths, recreational equipment and well-groomed fields, many community members chose not to spend time there because of concerns about gang-related violence. “Our findings suggest the community is an important environment that could potentially contribute to childhood obesity,” says Dr. Kipke, Director of the CHOIR Research Program, “and that much can be done to reduce neighborhood-level risks. 

Given these and other findings, we have already established a farmer’s market within East Los Angeles.  In addition, community groups are working with elected officials to address local violence, while researchers at Childrens Hospital are working with schools and youth-serving agencies to offer new after-school fitness programs.