Disease and "broken windows".Frumkin's editorial in the May 2005 issue of EHP (Frumkin 2005) was very interesting and enlightening. On page A291, Frumkin cited several studies that endorse the "broken windows theory," noting that Part of this effect may well be due to the disorder and squalor of the environment. Poor people and people of color are disproportionately exposed to "broken windows." It is interesting that the "broken windows" are considered to cause disease and health inequity. What happened first: the "broken windows," or the lack of social skills and the abandonment of the population who live in such places? As a scientist, I find it very difficult to accept that "broken windows" are associated with the number of cases of gonorrhea gon and are associated with
causality causality, in philosophy, the relationship between cause and effect. A distinction is often made between a cause that produces something new (e.g., a moth from a caterpillar) and one that produces a change in an existing substance (e.g., a statue from a piece of marble). Aristotle distinguished four causes—efficient, final, material, and formal—that may be illustrated by the following example: a statue is created by a sculptor (the efficient) who. The cases of venereal  or·rhe al, gonor·rheic adj.1. Transmitted by sexual intercourse. 2. Of or relating to a sexually transmitted disease. 3. Of or relating to sexual intercourse. 4. Of or relating to the genitals. VD - Heading to a DME Distance VD - Photographic Squadron (US Navy Aviation unit designation used from 1943 to 1946) VD - Physiologic Dead Space VD - Vaginal Discharge VD - Valentine's Day VD - Value Date VD - Valvular Disease VD - Van Dam Specialized Canadian Revenues Catalog (philatelic catalog) VD - Vapor Density VD - Various Dates VD - Vascular Dementia VD - Vaud (Waadt; Swiss Canton)) are more related to the social skills and social behaviors of the people living in the community. They also have a lack of respect for property, and destruction of property often occurs. If we say the reverse is plausible, what would happen if we got a grant and fixed all of the "broken windows" in a particular community, with no other intervention, and observed the trend of VD? With the assumptions and inferences made in Frumkin's editorial, this would have a positive effect in reducing cases of VD. My instincts tell me that this would not be the case. The "broken windows" are a consequence of the behaviors of that particular community and they are not the cause of the behaviors. The "broken windows" are what I consider "collateral damage" of people lacking the necessary social skills to overcome certain challenges, such as socioeconomic stress and the lack of maintenance provided by building owners. These people show their frustration and anger many times against property, as well as other people. The author declares he has no competing financial interests. REFERENCE Frumkin H. 2005. Health, equity, and the built environment [Editorial]. Environ Health Perspect 113:A290-A291. Leo Melendez Public Health Seattle-King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program Seattle, Washington E-mail: leo.melendez@metrokc.gov |
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