Geospatial Analysis of Neighborhood Environmental Stress in Relation to Biological Markers of Cardiovascular Health and Health Behaviors in Women: Protocol for a Pilot Study

Abstract

Background Innovative analyses of cardiovascular (CV) risk markers and health behaviors linked to neighborhood stressors are essential to further elucidate the mechanisms by which adverse neighborhood social conditions lead to poor CV outcomes. We propose to objectively measure physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and neighborhood stress using accelerometers, GPS, and real-time perceived ecological momentary assessment via smartphone apps and to link these to biological measures in a sample of White and African American women in Washington, DC, neighborhoods. Objective The primary aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that living in adverse neighborhood social conditions is associated with higher stress-related neural activity among 60 healthy women living in high or low socioeconomic status neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Sub-aim 1 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA using an accelerometer. A secondary objective is to test the hypothesis that residing in adverse neighborhood social environment conditions is related to differences in vascular function. Sub-aim 2 of this study is to test the hypothesis that the association is moderated by objectively measured PA. The third aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that adverse neighborhood social environment conditions are related to differences in immune system activation. Methods The proposed study will be cross-sectional, with a sample of at least 60 women (30 healthy White women and 30 healthy Black women) from Wards 3 and 5 in Washington, DC. A sample of the women (n=30) will be recruited from high-income areas in Ward 3 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 3’s range for median household income. The other participants (n=30) will be recruited from low-income areas in Wards 5 from census tracts within a 15% of Ward 5’s range for median household income. Finally, participants from Wards 3 and 5 will be matched based on age, race, and BMI. Participants will wear a GPS unit and accelerometer and report their stress and mood in real time using a smartphone. We will then examine the associations between GPS-derived neighborhood variables, stress-related neural activity measures, and adverse biological markers. Results The National Institutes of Health Institutional Review Board has approved this study. Recruitment will begin in the summer of 2021. Conclusions Findings from this research could inform the development of multilevel behavioral interventions and policies to better manage environmental factors that promote immune system activation or psychosocial stress while concurrently working to increase PA, thereby influencing CV health. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/29191

Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease

“…For example, if exposure to community parks from global positioning systems data is found to be associated with decreased body mass index, the exposure itself may not be the causal factor, rather the association may also be explained by intentional visits to the parks. 71 , 72 …”

“…For example, if exposure to community parks from global positioning systems data is found to be associated with decreased body mass index, the exposure itself may not be the causal factor, rather the association may also be explained by intentional visits to the parks. 71,72 Food Environment A person's food environment defined by food access, the ability to acquire food, or food security, which is assured availability of nutritionally adequate foods acquired in socially acceptable ways, influence dietary behaviors and CVD risk factors. 73 In our equity-focused SDoH framework, we include the food environment in the social and community context in which individuals live, considering the food environment's relationship with lived personal experiences that influences dietary behaviors (Table 1).…”