Associations of the built environment with type 2 diabetes in Asia: a systematic review

Demographic, socioeconomic, and built environment factors of cities are considered among risk factors for many Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). Decreasing NCDs and supporting healthy, high-quality urban environments is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, diabetes is related to quality of life and physical activity, making the disease more responsive to built environment factors. This study examines the geographical distribution of diabetes disease rate and its risk factors across Turkish cities. Principal component analysis and spatial regression models are used for this purpose. It is observed that green areas with high accessibility can increase physical activity and thus have a reducing effect on diabetes prevalence. In addition, in cities with sufficient healthcare services per capita, diabetes prevalence is lower. On the other hand, private vehicle ownership can have an increasing effect on diabetes prevalence, and a high share of the elderly population can be another reason for high diagnosis. According to the study findings, planning settlements with high green areas prioritizing green area development, public transportation and non-motorized vehicles, and accessible healthcare facilities can reduce diabetes risk factors by promoting physical activity and increased mobility along with a positive planning and design approach for public health. Elderly-friendly planning specifications need prioritization for some cities. This study presents evidence for the necessity of urban policies and public health strategies prioritizing health and physical activity in urban built environments.

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Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India

Pedram,

Chakradeo

2024

Int. J. Res. Granthaalayah

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Purpose: This paper explores the association between neighbourhood accessibility and the active living patterns (ALP) of children in urban India. Focusing on outdoor out-of-school physical activities (OOPA), mode of travel to school (MTS), mode of travel to the neighbourhood (MTN), and habitual active independent home range (HAIHR), it seeks to understand the relationship between active living and neighbourhood outdoor physical environment (OPE) during middle childhood.Methodology: Defining the variable within the framework of the ‘Adapted Ecological Model for Active Living in Urban Indian Children’, this study employed a cross-sectional quantitative method to examine two neighborhoods in Nagpur, India. The subjective data was collected from 43 in-person surveys of 8–12-year-old children and objective data was computed using GIS.Results: Children’s ALP had significant positive associations with built density, traffic exposure, parents’ perception of personal safety, neighbourhood physical activity (PA) environment, license for independent mobility (IM) and gender. Children’s OOPA was significantly positively correlated with built density, neighbourhood PA environment, motivation for PA, license for IM and gender. Children preferred active MTS to school if schools were close by and they had licenses for IM whereas their active MTN depended on parent’s positive perceptions of personal safety in the neighbourhood and permission for IM. Longer HAIHR was related to lesser traffic, licenses for IM and parents’ positive perceptions of neighbourhood safety.Conclusion: This study has identified several key neighbourhood OPE (density, traffic, parental safety concerns, PA environment), individual (gender, motivation), and interpersonal (license IM) correlates shaping urban children’s active living in India.

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Associations of the built environment with type 2 diabetes in Asia: a systematic review

Cited by 3 publications

References 78 publications

Environmental pollution and insulin resistance

Environmental pollution and insulin resistance

An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between Diabetes and Demographic, Socioeconomic and Built Environment Factors Across Turkish Cities

Neighbourhood Accessibility and Active Living Pattern of Children: A Pilot Study in Nagpur, India

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