January 29, 2022

Through a partnership with the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative (UHC) has launched the Big Cities Health Inventory data platform. The data platform includes over 100 metrics related to health and allows for comparison of metrics across BCHC member jurisdictions (currently 29 cities) which are among the country’s largest, most urban cities.

As an example of how the platform’s data can be used to assess public health concerns, the UHC created a data brief “Using the Big Cities Health Inventory to Examine Obesity and City Environment in Select U.S. Cities.” Data from the platform showed that the BCHC cities with higher prevalence of obesity tended to be more disadvantaged on multiple dimensions: the cities were poorer, had more residents without health insurance, and had natural and built environments that were less supportive of physical activity and healthier eating. The information in the data platform can be used to inform city health priorities and potential policy actions as well as anticipate where BCHC member cities may see increases in health disparities between and within cities.

To learn more, view the data brief.

The Big Cities Health Inventory data platform is primarily funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a cooperative agreement with the National Association of County and City Health Officials. The views expressed in this brief do not necessarily represent the views of the funders.