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Long-term exposure to greenspace and metabolic syndrome: A Whitehall II study
Keijzer, Carmen de Basagana, Xavier Tonne, Cathryn Valentin, Antonia Alonso, Jordi Anto, Josep M. Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J. Kivimaki, Mika Singh-Manoux, Archana Sunyer, Jordi
Keijzer, Carmen de
Basagana, Xavier
Tonne, Cathryn
Valentin, Antonia
Alonso, Jordi
Anto, Josep M.
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.
Kivimaki, Mika
Singh-Manoux, Archana
Sunyer, Jordi
Abstract
Background Metabolic syndrome is an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Long-term exposure to greenspace could be protective of metabolic syndrome, but evidence for such an association is lacking. Accordingly, we investigated the association between long-term exposure to greenspace and risk of metabolic syndrome. Methods The present longitudinal study was based on data from four clinical examinations between 1997 and 2013 in 6076 participants of the Whitehall II study, UK (aged 45–69 years at baseline). Long-term exposure to greenspace was assessed by satellite-based indices of greenspace including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Vegetation Continuous Field (VCF) averaged across buffers of 500 and 1000 m surrounding the participants’ residential location at each follow-up. The ascertainment of metabolic syndrome was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) definition. Hazard ratios for metabolic syndrome were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models, controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic status. Results Higher residential surrounding greenspace was associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome. An interquartile range increase in NDVI and VCF in the 500 m buffer was associated with 13% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1%, 23%) and 14% (95% CI: 5%, 22%) lower risk of metabolic syndrome, respectively. Greater exposure to greenspace was also associated with each individual component of metabolic syndrome, including a lower risk of high levels of fasting glucose, large waist circumference, high triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. The association between residential surrounding greenspace and metabolic syndrome may have been mediated by physical activity and exposure to air pollution. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that middle-aged and older adults living in greener neighbourhoods are at lower risk of metabolic syndrome than those living in neighbourhoods with less greenspace.
Keywords
metabolic syndrome, longitudinal study, cardiometabolic risk, greenness, built environment, natural environment
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
Environmental Pollution
Book
Volume
255
Issue
Part 2
Page Range
1-8
Article Number
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
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Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled