TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of Urban Green Space on Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomarkers in Chinese Adults
T2 - Panel Study Using Digital Tracking Devices
AU - Yang, Lin
AU - Chan, Ka Long
AU - Yuen, John W.M.
AU - Wong, Frances K.Y.
AU - Han, Lefei
AU - Ho, Hung Chak
AU - Chang, Katherine K.P.
AU - Ho, Yuen Shan
AU - Siu, Judy Yuen Man
AU - Tian, Linwei
AU - Wong, Man Sing
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Faculty of Health and Social Science Dean’s Reserve Fund from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Publisher Copyright:
© Lin Yang, Ka Long Chan, John W M Yuen, Frances K Y Wong, Lefei Han, Hung Chak Ho, Katherine K P Chang, Yuen Shan Ho, Judy Yuen-Man Siu, Linwei Tian, Man Sing Wong.
PY - 2021/7/1
Y1 - 2021/7/1
N2 - Background: The health benefits of urban green space have been widely reported in the literature; however, the biological mechanisms remain unexplored, and a causal relationship cannot be established between green space exposure and cardiorespiratory health. Objective: Our aim was to conduct a panel study using personal tracking devices to continuously collect individual exposure data from healthy Chinese adults aged 50 to 64 years living in Hong Kong. Methods: A panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers was tested each week for a period of 5 consecutive weeks. Data on weekly exposure to green space, air pollution, and the physical activities of individual participants were collected by personal tracking devices. The effects of green space exposure measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at buffer zones of 100, 250, and 500 meters on a panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers were estimated by a generalized linear mixed-effects model, with adjustment for confounding variables of sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to air pollutants and noise, exercise, and nutrient intake. Results: A total of 39 participants (mean age 56.4 years, range 50-63 years) were recruited and followed up for 5 consecutive weeks. After adjustment for sex, income, occupation, physical activities, dietary intake, noise, and air pollution, significant negative associations with the NDVI for the 250-meter buffer zone were found in total cholesterol (–21.6% per IQR increase in NDVI, 95% CI –32.7% to –10.6%), low-density lipoprotein (–14.9%, 95% CI –23.4% to –6.4%), glucose (–11.2%, 95% CI –21.9% to –0.5%), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (–41.3%, 95% CI –81.7% to –0.9%). Similar effect estimates were found for the 100-meter and 250-meter buffer zones. After adjustment for multiple testing, the effect estimates of glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were no longer significant. Conclusions: The health benefits of green space can be found in some metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Further studies are warranted to establish the causal relationship between green space and cardiorespiratory health.
AB - Background: The health benefits of urban green space have been widely reported in the literature; however, the biological mechanisms remain unexplored, and a causal relationship cannot be established between green space exposure and cardiorespiratory health. Objective: Our aim was to conduct a panel study using personal tracking devices to continuously collect individual exposure data from healthy Chinese adults aged 50 to 64 years living in Hong Kong. Methods: A panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers was tested each week for a period of 5 consecutive weeks. Data on weekly exposure to green space, air pollution, and the physical activities of individual participants were collected by personal tracking devices. The effects of green space exposure measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at buffer zones of 100, 250, and 500 meters on a panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers were estimated by a generalized linear mixed-effects model, with adjustment for confounding variables of sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to air pollutants and noise, exercise, and nutrient intake. Results: A total of 39 participants (mean age 56.4 years, range 50-63 years) were recruited and followed up for 5 consecutive weeks. After adjustment for sex, income, occupation, physical activities, dietary intake, noise, and air pollution, significant negative associations with the NDVI for the 250-meter buffer zone were found in total cholesterol (–21.6% per IQR increase in NDVI, 95% CI –32.7% to –10.6%), low-density lipoprotein (–14.9%, 95% CI –23.4% to –6.4%), glucose (–11.2%, 95% CI –21.9% to –0.5%), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (–41.3%, 95% CI –81.7% to –0.9%). Similar effect estimates were found for the 100-meter and 250-meter buffer zones. After adjustment for multiple testing, the effect estimates of glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were no longer significant. Conclusions: The health benefits of green space can be found in some metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Further studies are warranted to establish the causal relationship between green space and cardiorespiratory health.
KW - Biomarker
KW - Cardiovascular disease
KW - Green space
KW - Respiratory disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123553781&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2196/31316
DO - 10.2196/31316
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85123553781
SN - 2561-1011
VL - 5
JO - JMIR Cardio
JF - JMIR Cardio
IS - 2
M1 - e31316
ER -
