Socioeconomic Disparities in Hypertension by Levels of Green Space Availability: A Cross-Sectional Study in Philadelphia, PA

Celina Koh, Michelle C. Kondo, Heather Rollins and Usama Bilal
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Celina Koh: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3215 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Michelle C. Kondo: Northern Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture–Forest Service, 100 N. St., Ste 205, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
Heather Rollins: Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3600 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Usama Bilal: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3215 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: Green spaces have been proposed as equigenic factors, potentially mitigating health disparities. We used data from the 3887 participants residing in Philadelphia who participated in the Public Health Management Corporation’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey in 2014–2015 to assess whether socioeconomic disparities in hypertension are modified by availability of neighborhood-level green spaces. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured using individual-level education and neighborhood-level median household income. Green space availability was measured using surrounding percent tree canopy cover, mean normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and proximity to nearest park. Using logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, we found that adults with higher educational attainment had significantly lower levels of hypertension (OR = 0.63, 0.57, and 0.36 for high school, some college, and college graduates, respectively, as compared to those with less than high school education), and this pattern was similar for median household income (higher prevalence in lower income areas). We found no significant interaction between education and percent tree canopy cover ( p = 0.83), meaning that educational disparities in hypertension were similar across all levels of green space availability. These results held when using mean NDVI or distance to nearest park as availability measures, or when considering neighborhood-level median household income as the socioeconomic measure, although the specific patterns and significance of interactions varied by exposure and modifier. While socioeconomic disparities in hypertension are strong for adults residing in Philadelphia, green spaces did not seem to modify them.

Keywords: green spaces; hypertension; socioeconomic status; health equity; Philadelphia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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