Association Between Lack of Access to a Neighborhood Park and High Blood Pressure in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Kjelstrom, Stephanie ; Hass, Richard W. ; McIntire, Russell K.
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  Studies have shown a lower risk of high blood pressure (HBP) among people who live near parks; however, little information exists on how feeling safe and comfortable visiting the park affects blood pressure. We identified associations between neighborhood park access, comfort visiting a park, and HBP to understand how these factors may contribute to disparities in HBP prevalence.
  
  Methods
  
  The 2018 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey of 3,600 residents in the Philadelphia metropolitan area asked if respondents had ever been told they had HBP and whether they had a neighborhood park or outdoor space that they were comfortable visiting during the day. To assess the association between park access and HBP, we built multilevel logistic models to account for variation in HBP by zip code. We examined the effect modification of perceptions of park access (having a neighborhood park, not having a neighborhood park, or having a neighborhood park but not comfortable visiting it) and HBP by race, education, and poverty status.
  
  Results
  
  Both not having a neighborhood park and having a park but not feeling comfortable visiting it were associated with higher unadjusted odds of HBP, 70% and 90%, respectively, compared with having a neighborhood park. Adjusted odds ratios for the lack-of-park responses remained significant (no neighborhood park, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.7; neighborhood park but not comfortable visiting, aOR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.03–2.0). A significant gradient was observed for Black respondents compared with White respondents with odds of HBP increasing by perceptions of park access (aOR = 1.95 for people with a park; aOR = 2.69 for those with no park; aOR = 3.5 for people with a park that they are not comfortable visiting).
  
  Conclusion
  
  Even accounting for other risk factors for HBP, not having a neighborhood park or not feeling comfortable visiting one may influence individual HBP. Neighborhood factors that deter park access may contribute to racial disparities in HBP.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Health Surveys Humans Hypertension Poverty Residence Characteristics Risk Factors
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 2023; 20
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230098
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Pubmed ID:
  37917613
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10625437
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Philadelphia, PA
• Volume:
  20
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e120cc1cb87e55e8845c5ebd7547477c38c5eeec65b9805094b236b8bd5c98a48307acd3d640dca65d10c3dd719be2210d77a17573ae5ab553965e6327bbc821
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/151126/cdc_151126_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 449.58 KB ]