Do Exposures to Green Space Reduce the Risk of Hypertension?
Background: Few epidemiological research examined the effects of greenness on cardiovascular diseases in developing countries. We aimed to explore the relationships between green space and hypertension and blood pressure in China.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 39, 259 adults from five counties in central China. Blood pressure measurements were performed according to a standardized protocol. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) was used to assess the exposure to greenness. We used mixed linear models to test greenspace-cardiovascular disease outcome pathways.
Results: Higher green space was related to decreased hypertension prevalence and blood pressure. After fully adjusting the covariates, each interquartile range increase in NDVI500m and EVI500m were related to an 8% decrease in odds of hypertension. The changes in SBP and DBP (95% CI) were - 0.88 mm Hg (- 1.17, - 0.58) and - 0.64 mm Hg (- 0.82, - 0.46) for NDVI, and - 0.79 mm Hg (- 1.14, - 0.45) and - 0.67 mm Hg (- 0.87, - 0.46) for EVI, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the effects of green space were more pronounced in males, smokers, and drinkers.
Conclusions: The effects of green space may reduce the risk of hypertension. Also, behavioral factors may affect this potential pathway.
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This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Table S1 The checklist of STROBE guidelines. Table S2 Characteristics of participants, by region. Table S3 Distributions of vegetation indices, by region. Table S4 Interaction effect analyses in the NDVI500m-cardiovascular disease outcome pathways. Table S5 Interaction effect analyses in the EVI500m-cardiovascular disease outcome pathways. Table S6 The relationships between green space (NDVI1000m and EVI1000m) and hypertension and blood pressure. Table S7 The relationships between NDVI500m for different annual averages and hypertension and blood pressure. Table S8 The relationships between NDVI500m and hypertension and blood pressure (Some participants were excluded).
Posted 22 Dec, 2020
Do Exposures to Green Space Reduce the Risk of Hypertension?
Posted 22 Dec, 2020
Background: Few epidemiological research examined the effects of greenness on cardiovascular diseases in developing countries. We aimed to explore the relationships between green space and hypertension and blood pressure in China.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 39, 259 adults from five counties in central China. Blood pressure measurements were performed according to a standardized protocol. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) was used to assess the exposure to greenness. We used mixed linear models to test greenspace-cardiovascular disease outcome pathways.
Results: Higher green space was related to decreased hypertension prevalence and blood pressure. After fully adjusting the covariates, each interquartile range increase in NDVI500m and EVI500m were related to an 8% decrease in odds of hypertension. The changes in SBP and DBP (95% CI) were - 0.88 mm Hg (- 1.17, - 0.58) and - 0.64 mm Hg (- 0.82, - 0.46) for NDVI, and - 0.79 mm Hg (- 1.14, - 0.45) and - 0.67 mm Hg (- 0.87, - 0.46) for EVI, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the effects of green space were more pronounced in males, smokers, and drinkers.
Conclusions: The effects of green space may reduce the risk of hypertension. Also, behavioral factors may affect this potential pathway.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3