September 20, 2004- As urban sprawl increases, the number of physical health problems increases, study finds1 published in Public Health.
A survey conducted from 8,686 telephone interviews reveals that health problems, such as hypertension, arthritis and cardiorespiratory diseases, are exacerbated by living conditions linked to urban sprawl.
An analysis compared this information with the urban sprawl index of 38 cities in the United States. The impact on physical and mental health of this sprawl could be measured using indicators, including population density and street layout. The socioeconomic context, climatic environment and the age of the population were taken into account in the final review of the results.
Small towns, including New York, have therefore been compared to very large cities such as Riverside-San Bernardino (California) or Atlanta (Georgia). Researchers found that certain conditions were more common in large suburbs than in more concentrated cities. For example, they noted that compared to Seattle, which served as a baseline, the greater Atlanta area has 96 additional health problems per 1,000 population. This would amount to a public health effect similar to premature aging for four years.
None of the indicators analyzed, however, made it possible to verify the hypothesis according to which urban sprawl would have an impact on mental health.
The authors of the study invite urban planners and other decision-makers to plan urban land use planning based on the increasingly conclusive link between the extent of urban sprawl and the diseases affecting those who inhabit them. The increased use of the automobile in an environment that is not conducive to physical activity is just one example of the public health issues arising from the lifestyle in the suburbs. Pollution as well as the concentration of fast food outlets are also part of it.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
1. Sturm R., Cohen DA, Suburban sprawl and physical and mental health, Public Health. October 2004, Vol. 118, No 7, 488-96
