Dataset Information

Home versus nonhome neighborhood: quantifying differences in exposure to the built environment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Built environment and health research have focused on characteristics of home neighborhoods, whereas overall environmental exposures occur over larger spatial ranges.

Purpose

Differences in built environment characteristics were analyzed for home and nonhome locations using GPS data.

Methods

GPS data collected in 2007-2008 were analyzed for 41 subjects in the Seattle area in 2010. Environmental characteristics for 3.8 million locations were measured using novel GIS data sets called SmartMaps, representing spatially continuous values of local built environment variables in the domains of neighborhood composition, utilitarian destinations, transportation infrastructure, and traffic conditions. Using bootstrap sampling, CIs were estimated for differences in built environment values for home (<833 m of home address) and nonhome (>1666 m) GPS locations.

Results

Home and nonhome built environment values were significantly different for more than 90% of variables across subjects (p<0.001). Only 51% of subjects had higher counts of supermarkets near than away from home. Different measures of neighborhood parks yielded varying results.

Conclusions

SmartMaps helped measure local built environment characteristics for a large set of GPS locations. Most subjects had significantly different home and nonhome built environment exposures. Considering the full range of individuals' environmental exposures may improve understanding of effects of the built environment on behavior and health outcomes.

SUBMITTER: Hurvitz PM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3318915 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Home versus nonhome neighborhood: quantifying differences in exposure to the built environment.

Hurvitz Philip M PM Moudon Anne Vernez AV

American journal of preventive medicine 20120401 4

<h4>Background</h4>Built environment and health research have focused on characteristics of home neighborhoods, whereas overall environmental exposures occur over larger spatial ranges.<h4>Purpose</h4>Differences in built environment characteristics were analyzed for home and nonhome locations using GPS data.<h4>Methods</h4>GPS data collected in 2007-2008 were analyzed for 41 subjects in the Seattle area in 2010. Environmental characteristics for 3.8 million locations were measured using novel G ...[more]

PMID: 22424255

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Project description:BackgroundIn the background of an aging population, the risk of cognitive impairment in the older population is prominent. Exposure to complex neighborhood built environments may be beneficial to the cognitive health of older adults, and the purpose of this study was to systematically review the scientific evidence on the effects of neighborhood built environments on cognitive function in older adults.MethodsKeywords and references were searched in Web of Science, Pubmed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Studies examining the relationship between the built environment and cognitive function in older adults were included. The neighborhood built environment as an independent variable was classified according to seven aspects: density, design, diversity, destination accessibility, public transportation distance, blue/green space, and built environment quality. The cognitive function as the dependent variable was classified according to overall cognitive function, domain-specific cognitive function, and incidence of dementia. The quality of the included literature was assessed using the National Institutes of Health's Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Study Quality Assessment Tool.ResultsA total of 56 studies were included that met the inclusion criteria, including 31 cross-sectional studies, 23 longitudinal studies, 1 cross-sectional study design combined with a case-control design, and 1 longitudinal study design combined with a case-control design. Most of the studies reviewed indicate that the built environment factors that were positively associated with cognitive function in older adults were population density, street connectivity, walkability, number of public transportation stops around the residence, land use mix, neighborhood resources, green space, and quality of the neighborhood built environment. Built environment factors that were negatively associated with cognitive function in older adults were street integration, distance from residence to main road. The relationship between residential density, destination accessibility, and blue space with cognitive function in older adults needs to be further explored.ConclusionPreliminary evidence suggests an association between the neighborhood built environment and cognitive function in older adults. The causal relationship between the built environment and cognitive function can be further explored in the future using standardized and combined subjective and objective assessment methods, and longitudinal or quasi-experimental study designs. For public health interventions on the cognitive health of older adults, it is recommended that relevant authorities include the neighborhood built environment in their intervention programs.

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Dataset Information

Home versus nonhome neighborhood: quantifying differences in exposure to the built environment.

Background

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Home versus nonhome neighborhood: quantifying differences in exposure to the built environment.

Similar Datasets

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