If you live in a neighborhood where harmony exists, you will tend to be happy most of the time. On the other hand, if your neighborhood is one in which frequent collision between residents persists, I am sure you can hardly have good mood. Nevertheless, do you know that the state of your neighborhood will also determine the level of your blood pressure?
A study published in journal “Epidemiology” in July 2008 indicated that people who lived in neighborhoods with less crime, better grocery stores, a closer sense of community and more opportunities for exercise, would have a lower risk of high blood pressure, irrespective of the income and education level. Therefore, the researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor suggest that building better neighborhoods might also improve residents’ cardiovascular health. High blood pressure is known to be a risk factor for heart disease.
In area where walking in streets is safe and with recreational facilities and better access to healthy foods, people can exercise and maintain a healthy diet easier. In addition, stress may play a role because if people find their living conditions hard to relax and recover from daily stresses from work or elsewhere, their blood pressure might well be affected.
A large survey of cardiovascular health on 2,612 adults ages 45 to 85, lived either in New York City, Baltimore or Forsyth County in North Carolina, was used as the basis for the findings. In the survey, conditions in the mile surrounding the participants’ home, including things like whether they felt safe, whether nearby markets had a good selection of fruits and vegetables, and whether it was easy to walk in the neighborhood were asked.
The participants were also questioned about their neighborhood’s 'social cohesion', including if their neighbors were generally friendly and willing to help each other.
People who lived in the most walkable neighborhoods were found to be about one quarter less likely to have high blood pressure than those in the least pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Similar differences were also revealed when neighborhood safety, availability of healthy foods and social cohesion were being looked into. However, when participants' race and ethnicity were factored in, the links did diminish.
In conclusion, the researchers suggest that the characteristics of the neighborhood do play some role in the risk of high blood pressure. This also means that policies, which could improve communities (from fewer crime to more parks and better food choices), might just help improve people’s health.
Perhaps, you may want to access the state of your neighborhood should you intend to locate a new house in future.
A study published in journal “Epidemiology” in July 2008 indicated that people who lived in neighborhoods with less crime, better grocery stores, a closer sense of community and more opportunities for exercise, would have a lower risk of high blood pressure, irrespective of the income and education level. Therefore, the researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor suggest that building better neighborhoods might also improve residents’ cardiovascular health. High blood pressure is known to be a risk factor for heart disease.
In area where walking in streets is safe and with recreational facilities and better access to healthy foods, people can exercise and maintain a healthy diet easier. In addition, stress may play a role because if people find their living conditions hard to relax and recover from daily stresses from work or elsewhere, their blood pressure might well be affected.
A large survey of cardiovascular health on 2,612 adults ages 45 to 85, lived either in New York City, Baltimore or Forsyth County in North Carolina, was used as the basis for the findings. In the survey, conditions in the mile surrounding the participants’ home, including things like whether they felt safe, whether nearby markets had a good selection of fruits and vegetables, and whether it was easy to walk in the neighborhood were asked.
The participants were also questioned about their neighborhood’s 'social cohesion', including if their neighbors were generally friendly and willing to help each other.
People who lived in the most walkable neighborhoods were found to be about one quarter less likely to have high blood pressure than those in the least pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Similar differences were also revealed when neighborhood safety, availability of healthy foods and social cohesion were being looked into. However, when participants' race and ethnicity were factored in, the links did diminish.
In conclusion, the researchers suggest that the characteristics of the neighborhood do play some role in the risk of high blood pressure. This also means that policies, which could improve communities (from fewer crime to more parks and better food choices), might just help improve people’s health.
Perhaps, you may want to access the state of your neighborhood should you intend to locate a new house in future.
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