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. 2017 Aug:26:1-10.
doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.016. Epub 2017 Jun 3.

Varying age-gender associations between body mass index and urban greenspace

Heather A Sander  1 , Debarchana Ghosh  2 , Cody B Hodson  1
Affiliations

Varying age-gender associations between body mass index and urban greenspace

Heather A Sander et al. Urban For Urban Green. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Urban greenspace benefits urbanites in numerous ways ranging from regulating flooding, air quality, and local climate to providing opportunities for exercise and relaxation. These benefits may influence human health. Greenspace, for example, may facilitate exercise, thereby helping to reduce body mass index (BMI) and combat obesity, a current epidemic of great public health concern. Little evidence exists to support this assertion, however, and we lack a full understanding of the mechanisms whereby this relationship operates, the populations for whom greenspace is linked to weight status, and the aspects of urban greenspace that are linked to weight status. This study seeks to identify relationships among the composition and arrangement of greenspace and BMI for different populations using regression models for eight age and gender groups in Cleveland, Ohio, US. We find that several greenspace variables are related to BMI for women under 65 years and males under 51 years, but not for older groups, and that the aspects and types of greenspace that are significantly related to BMI vary among groups. Relationships between greenspace attributes and BMI are generally stronger for female groups and for younger groups. Providing access to greenspace with particular attributes such as greenspaces with water, canopy cover, or connected greenspaces could support a healthy weight status for some populations, but these attributes are not consistent across age and gender groups. These results could help to inform policy aimed at designing urban greenspace to benefit the health of different population subgroups.

Keywords: Urban greenspace; body mass index; obesity.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of greenspace in Cleveland, OH, USA.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cluster analysis of average BMI at the Census block group level by age and gender.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Coefficients for greenspace variables for female groups. Only statistically significant variables (p < 0.05) are included.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Coefficients for greenspace variables for male groups. Only statistically significant variables (p < 0.05) are included.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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