Very few studies have examined the influence of neighborhood conditions on physical disabilities. We found the quality of the neighborhood had a very high impact on lower-body function in the people we surveyed.

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This study of neighborhood conditions is especially important because it has investigated a relatively older population. Older people are much more sensitive to their environment. They rely on aspects of their immediate surroundings--how easy it is to get to the doctor or the grocery store or go for a walk--much more than younger people do.

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It also suggests that the effort to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods can have the added benefit of improving the health of individuals living there.

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