Peter James1, Jaime E Hart2, Francine Laden3. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: pjames@hsph.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Department of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Features of neighborhoods associated with walkability (i.e., connectivity, accessibility, and density) may also be correlated with levels of ambient air pollution, which would attenuate the health benefits of walkability. OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between neighborhood walkability and ambient air pollution in a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study spanning the entire United States using residence-level exposure assessment for ambient air pollution and the built environment. METHODS: Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, we used linear regression to estimate the association between a neighborhood walkability index, combining neighborhood intersection count, business count, and population density (defined from Census data, infoUSA business data, and StreetMap USA data), and air pollution, defined from a GIS-based spatiotemporal PM2.5 model. RESULTS: After adjustment for Census tract median income, median home value, and percent with no high school education, the highest tertile of walkability index, intersection count, business count, and population density was associated with a with 1.58 (95% CI 1.54, 1.62), 1.20 (95% CI 1.16, 1.24), 1.31 (95% CI 1.27, 1.35), and 1.84 (95% CI 1.80, 1.88) µg/m(3) higher level of PM2.5 respectively, compared to the lowest tertile. Results varied somewhat by neighborhood socioeconomic status and greatly by region. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide analysis showed a positive relationship between neighborhood walkability and modeled air pollution levels, which were consistent after adjustment for neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. Regional differences in the air pollution-walkability relationship demonstrate that there are factors that vary from region to region that allow for walkable neighborhoods with low levels of air pollution.
BACKGROUND: Features of neighborhoods associated with walkability (i.e., connectivity, accessibility, and density) may also be correlated with levels of ambient air pollution, which would attenuate the health benefits of walkability. OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between neighborhood walkability and ambient air pollution in a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study spanning the entire United States using residence-level exposure assessment for ambient air pollution and the built environment. METHODS: Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, we used linear regression to estimate the association between a neighborhood walkability index, combining neighborhood intersection count, business count, and population density (defined from Census data, infoUSA business data, and StreetMap USA data), and air pollution, defined from a GIS-based spatiotemporal PM2.5 model. RESULTS: After adjustment for Census tract median income, median home value, and percent with no high school education, the highest tertile of walkability index, intersection count, business count, and population density was associated with a with 1.58 (95% CI 1.54, 1.62), 1.20 (95% CI 1.16, 1.24), 1.31 (95% CI 1.27, 1.35), and 1.84 (95% CI 1.80, 1.88) µg/m(3) higher level of PM2.5 respectively, compared to the lowest tertile. Results varied somewhat by neighborhood socioeconomic status and greatly by region. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide analysis showed a positive relationship between neighborhood walkability and modeled air pollution levels, which were consistent after adjustment for neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. Regional differences in the air pollution-walkability relationship demonstrate that there are factors that vary from region to region that allow for walkable neighborhoods with low levels of air pollution.
Authors: Stephanie S Frost; R Turner Goins; Rebecca H Hunter; Steven P Hooker; Lucinda L Bryant; Judy Kruger; Delores Pluto Journal: Am J Health Promot Date: 2010 Mar-Apr
Authors: Peter James; David Berrigan; Jaime E Hart; J Aaron Hipp; Christine M Hoehner; Jacqueline Kerr; Jacqueline M Major; Masayoshi Oka; Francine Laden Journal: Health Place Date: 2014-03-07 Impact factor: 4.078
Authors: I-Min Lee; Eric J Shiroma; Felipe Lobelo; Pekka Puska; Steven N Blair; Peter T Katzmarzyk Journal: Lancet Date: 2012-07-21 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Gerard Hoek; Ranjini M Krishnan; Rob Beelen; Annette Peters; Bart Ostro; Bert Brunekreef; Joel D Kaufman Journal: Environ Health Date: 2013-05-28 Impact factor: 5.984
Authors: Stephanie L Orstad; Meghan H McDonough; Peter James; David B Klenosky; Francine Laden; Marifran Mattson; Philip J Troped Journal: Prev Med Date: 2018-08-06 Impact factor: 4.018
Authors: Charlotte Clark; Hind Sbihi; Lillian Tamburic; Michael Brauer; Lawrence D Frank; Hugh W Davies Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2017-08-31 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Maayan Yitshak-Sade; Peter James; Itai Kloog; Jaime E Hart; Joel D Schwartz; Francine Laden; Kevin J Lane; M Patricia Fabian; Kelvin C Fong; Antonella Zanobetti Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-03-06 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Noelle S Liao; Stephen K Van Den Eeden; Stephen Sidney; Kamala Deosaransingh; Joel Schwartz; Stephen P Uong; Stacey E Alexeeff Journal: Environ Epidemiol Date: 2022-02-18
Authors: Ester Cerin; Anthony Barnett; Casper J P Zhang; Poh-Chin Lai; Cindy H P Sit; Ruby S Y Lee Journal: Int J Health Geogr Date: 2020-04-16 Impact factor: 3.918