Urban Environment and Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Influence of Environmental Quality and Physical Activity on Blood Pressure

Regina Grazuleviciene, Sandra Andrusaityte, Audrius Dėdelė, Tomas Grazulevicius, Leonas Valius, Aurimas Rapalavicius, Violeta Kapustinskiene and Inga Bendokiene
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Regina Grazuleviciene: Department of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Sandra Andrusaityte: Department of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Audrius Dėdelė: Department of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Tomas Grazulevicius: Department of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Leonas Valius: Department of Family Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių str. 2, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
Aurimas Rapalavicius: Department of Family Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių str. 2, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
Violeta Kapustinskiene: Department of Family Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių str. 2, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
Inga Bendokiene: Division of City Planning and Architecture, Kaunas City Municipality, Laisvės al. 96, 44251 Kaunas, Lithuania

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Few studies have examined the relation between urban built environment and the prevalence of hypertension. This cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the relationship between the environmental quality, physical activity, and stress on hypertension among citizens of Kaunas city, Lithuania. We conducted a survey of 1086 citizens residing in 11 districts to determine their perceptions of environmental quality, health behavior, and health indices. The independent variables included residential traffic flows, access to public transportation and green spaces. Dependent variables included physician-diagnosed hypertension, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and stress level. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the associations as odds ratios (OR). The environmental factors beneficially associated with meeting the physical activity recommendations were opportunities for walking to reach the city’s green spaces and available relaxation areas. Residents of high noise level districts aged 45–64 years had a significantly higher OR of stress and a higher prevalence of hypertension when age, sex, education status, family status, and smoking were accounted for. However, meeting the physical activity recommendations had a beneficial effect on the risk of hypertension. This study provided evidence that improvement of the district-level built environment supporting citizens’ physical activity might reduce the risk of hypertension.

Keywords: urban infrastructure; environmental quality; citizen science; neighborhood perceptions; hypertension; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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