TUCSON, Arizona — A researcher at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health has received $1.2 million from the American Cancer Society to study how neighborhoods might affect cancer risk.
The study, led by Chris Lim, PhD, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences, will look at how different neighborhood factors may increase the risk of obesity-related cancers and how this information can help shape future policies.
“This study will give us a better understanding of how neighborhoods may contribute to cancer risk and help guide future policy decisions,” Lim said.
Research already shows that where people live can impact their health beyond personal choices like smoking or diet. However, there are few studies that focus on how neighborhood environments relate to cancer. Most research only looks at single factors, like access to healthy food or safe places to walk, rather than the bigger picture.
Lim’s team will use data from two large studies: the NIH-AARP Diet and Cancer Study, which covers six states and two cities, and the Arizona Cancer Registry.
They will use advanced computer techniques to analyze neighborhood details and identify patterns.
By grouping neighborhood features into "archetypes," the researchers hope to make the results easier to understand and find areas where changes could lower cancer risk.
The findings will be shared with policymakers and community members to help improve neighborhood conditions and reduce cancer risk.
Lim is working with researchers from the University of Arizona Health Sciences, the University of Arizona Cancer Center, the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania.
The American Cancer Society is funding the research under award No. RSG-24-1259248-01-HOPS.
