Government officials, legislators, and their staff were informative sources about the constituent needs and about salient neighborhood characteristics and issues. We presented the study to Baltimore City Council members at City Hall, State Senators in Annapolis, and to Maryland's Senators on Capitol Hill to solicit their support and endorsement of our study. Governmental officials at all levels were eager to learn about our hypotheses on health disparities and supported our study as a benefit for their constituents. On several occasions, they were instrumental in overcoming community-based barriers.
