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Associations of objective and perceived greenness measures with cardiovascular risk factors in Philadelphia, PA: A spatial analysis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Associations of objective and perceived greenness measures with cardiovascular risk factors in Philadelphia, PA: A spatial analysis

Pablo Knobel, Michelle Kondo, Roser Maneja, Yuzhe Zhao, Payam Dadvand and Leah H. Schinasi
Environmental research, v 197, 110990
Jun 2021
PMID: 33766569
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110990View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

Cardiovascular Greenspace NDVI Perceived access Race Socioeconomic status Trees Urban health Vegetation
There is mounting scientific evidence that greenness is associated with improved cardiovascular health. However, few studies have distinguished between vegetation type, measured perceived green space access, or investigated heterogeneity of associations across categories of neighborhood sociodemographic and racial/ethnic composition. We conducted an ecologic spatial analysis of associations of three objective measures of greenness (percent vegetation cover, percent tree canopy cover, and greenness density), and one measure of perceived access to green spaces with census tract level percentages of the adult population who were obese, ever had a high blood pressure diagnosis, and ever had a diabetes diagnosis, in the city of Philadelphia, PA, year 2013. We explored effect modification by census-tract level percent living in poverty and percent non-Hispanic Black categories. We used data from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey (SEPAHH) linked with high-resolution landcover, remotely sensed, and American Community Survey data and estimated associations using spatial lag models. We observed modest protective associations between percent of the adult population reporting perceived access to green spaces and percent with the cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in moderate and high poverty census tracts. Percent tree canopy cover was also protective against the cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in census tracts with low percentages of the population living in poverty and with low percent non-Hispanic Black populations. These results suggest that perceived access to green spaces and objectively measured high tree canopy cover, may protect against cardiovascular disease, but associations may vary across neighborhood sociodemographic categories. •Perceived access to green spaces and high percent tree canopy cover were protective against CVD risk factors.•Benefits of perceived access to green spaces were restricted to census tracts with moderate or high poverty.•Benefits of tree canopy cover were restricted to census tracts with low percent of non-Hispanic Black and/or low poverty.

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This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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