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Residential area greenness and hypertension: a national assessment on urban adults in Bangladesh
Authors: Jahidur Rahman Khan,Raaj Kishore Biswas, Md. Belal Hossain and Rownak Jahan Archie
Source: International Journal of Environmental Health Research, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2022.2053662
Topic(s): Hypertension
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
Rural-urban differentials
Country: Asia
  Bangladesh
Published: APR 2022
Abstract: This study investigated the associations between greenness and blood pressure (BP) metrics (systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP], hypertension) among urban adults in Bangladesh and the potential mediation effects of body mass index (BMI) using 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data for 2360 urban adults (aged =35?years). The Enhanced Vegetation Index was used as a measure of residential area greenness. Associations between greenness and BP metrics were estimated using linear and binary logistic regression models. We also conducted mediation analyses. Greater area-level greenness was inversely associated with SBP (ß -1.33, 95%CI: -2.46, -.20), DBP (ß -.83, 95%CI: -1.64, -.02), and hypertension (adjusted odds ratio .87, 95%CI: .77, .98). BMI substantially mediated associations between greenness and BP metrics. Adopting urban greening policies could reduce the risk of hypertension, thus can contribute to reduction of non-communicable disease burden in Bangladesh. Longitudinal studies are required to further investigate the causal pathways.
Web: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09603123.2022.2053662?scroll=top&needAccess=true