Spatial Differences in the Effect of Communities’ Built Environment on Residents’ Health: A Case Study in Wuhan, China

Abstract

After 40 years of reform and opening-up policies, urbanization in China has significantly improved residents’ living standards; however, simultaneously, it has caused a series of health problems among Chinese citizens. Communities’ built environment is closely related to their residents’ health. However, few studies have examined the spatial differences in the health effects of community-built environments. Based on a 2013 health survey of residents in 20 communities in Wuhan, this study uses multilevel linear models to explore the effects of the built environment on residents’ health, analyzing the differences in its health-effect within different types of communities. The results showed that there were significant differences in the self-rated health status of residents in different communities, with those in high-end communities reporting a higher self-rated health status. The effect of the built environment on the health of residents in different communities was found to be inconsistent. For instance, the effect of the built environment on low-end community residents was very significant, but it was not obvious for residents in high-end communities. There are significant community-specific differences in the health- effect of the built environment: in high-end communities, residents’ health status was mainly restricted by travel accessibility, while in low-end communities, residents’ health status was mainly restricted by the accessibility of health facilities. Therefore, this paper proposes a built-environment optimization strategy for different types of communities to provide valuable insights for healthy community planning from a policy perspective.

Quantitative Evaluation of the Equity of Public Service Facility Layout in Urumqi City for Sustainable Development

“…The first category pertains to inequity resulting from insufficient PSFs. These findings are better supported by the relevant studies by Yuan M. et al [60,61]. There needs to be more PSFs in the sub-district, particularly in remote suburban areas that blend urban and rural features, as well as in industrial zones in cities.…”

Health Assessment of a 15-Minute Life Circle Around Rail Transit Based on the EWR-TOPSIS Method

“…In terms of evaluation systems, the Healthy City Evaluation Index System is a crucial component of healthy cities.A reasonable and quantifiable index system can not only measure levels but also reflect the concepts and goals of healthy city development (O'Neill and Simard, 2006) [7] .The focus of healthy city construction in China is on the environment, economy, and population (Zhuoran Lv, 2022) [8] .Comprehensive exploration of healthy city evaluation requires considering multiple aspects such as urban transportation, quality of life, and sustainable development (Kai Xia, 2022) [9] .Encouraging walking, cycling, and the use of public transportation while reducing the use of private cars (Giles-Corti B, 2016; Angela Mottaeva, 2018) [5][10] .Additionally, reducing air pollution, noise, and the heat island effect, while increasing green spaces and physical activity levels (Nieuwenhuijsen M J, 2021;Yildirim, Y.,2022) [11][12] .The framework for evaluating healthy urban areas includes aspects such as urban space and facilities, natural environment and climate, and social atmosphere and security, providing references for healthy city planning and construction practices (Wang Lan, 2023) [13] .Both domestic and international studies indicate that the built environment impacts health through factors such as green spaces(Haluza, D., 2024) [14] , land use, and road traffic (Li Jianjun, 2024; Man Yuan, 2022) [15][16] [17] .In terms of evaluation methods, constructing a healthy community evaluation index system primarily includes methods such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) (Yuzhou Luo, 2019) [18] , the Delphi method and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (Dong Xiaofeng, 2023) [19] , and the Entropy Weight Method (EWM) (Yan D, 2021; Yu Chen, 2023) [1][20] .Additionally, introducing the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Grey Relational Analysis to establish evaluation models (Long Ruyin, 2019) [21] .Through these interactions, the study of health evaluation for 15-minute living circles around rail transit stations promotes the c`onstruction and optimization of urban physical and social environments. (Some health evaluation indicators are shown in American Journal of Public Health.…”

Evaluating the Health of Urban Human Settlements

“…At present, the health of urban human settlements has become a focus of research. Studies have analyzed the relationship between urban human settlements and health from the perspectives of planning, architecture, health care, and geography, among others [15][16][17][18][19][20][21], and have sought to derive planning and construction strategies for healthy human settlements [22][23][24]. Based on the existing research results, the need to construct healthy human settlements has been recognized by the academic community.…”