Abstract
BackgroundCardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Neighborhood micro-environmental, street scale elements may contribute to health above and beyond individual characteristics of residents.PurposeTo investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women.MethodWomen (N = 410) completed measures of BMI, percent body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behavior and demographics. Trained field assessors completed the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan in participants’ neighborhoods. Data were collected from 2006–2008. Multiple regression models were conducted in 2011 to estimate the effect of environmental factors on cardiometabolic risk factors.ResultsAdjusted regression models found an inverse association between sidewalk buffers and blood pressure, between traffic control devices and resting heart rate, and a positive association between presence of pedestrian crossing aids and BMI (ps<.05). Neighborhood attractiveness and safety for walking and cycling were related to more time spent in a motor vehicle (ps<.05).ConclusionsFindings suggest complex relationships among micro-environmental, street scale elements that may confer important cardiometabolic benefits and risks for residents. Living in the most attractive and safe neighborhoods for physical activity may be associated with longer times spent sitting in the car.
Highlights
[9] suburban type neighborhoods have been associated with increases in cardiometabolic risk factors and decreases in physical activity, particular neighborhood micro-environment factors may still be present in ‘non-walkable’ neighborhoods that can contribute to positive health behaviors
More pleasant neighborhood surroundings might reduce the perception of daily stressors contributing to improved dietary habits, [10] in turn leading to lower rates of obesity, reduced fat on the body and improved blood pressure and resting heart rates. [11,12] few studies have investigated the relationship between microenvironmental, street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors, in the most vulnerable population of minority women
This study investigated relationships between micro-environmental, street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors of sedentary behavior, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, blood pressure and resting heart rate among African American and Hispanic or Latina women
Summary
Ethnic minority women have a higher prevalence of obesity (51.0% of African American and 43.4% of Hispanic versus 33.1% of white women) and hypertension (51.5% of African American and 65.3% of Hispanic versus 47.4% of white women) compared to white women, contributing to disease risk [1] and rising health care costs, which are 30% higher for overweight or obese individuals compared to their normal weight peers. [2] Minority women are less physically active than white women, putting them at greater risk for chronic health conditions related to physical inactivity [3].Increases in cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior may reflect changes in lifestyle. [4,5] Resettlement from urban, highly walkable settings with easy access to work, and goods and services to suburban neighborhoods that are obesogenic [6] has been blamed for these lifestyle changes and subsequent increases in cardiometabolic risk factors. Increases in cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior may reflect changes in lifestyle. [11,12] few studies have investigated the relationship between microenvironmental, street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors, in the most vulnerable population of minority women. Cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Purpose: To investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women
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