Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Urban Health
Published in: Journal of Urban Health 5/2019

01-10-2019

Structural Characteristics of Tree Cover and the Association with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health in Tampa, FL

Authors: Viniece Jennings, Richard Schulterbrandt Gragg III, C. Perry Brown, Dudley Hartel, Eric Kuehler, Alex Sinykin, Elijah Johnson, Michelle Kondo

Published in: Journal of Urban Health | Issue 5/2019

Login to get access

Abstract

Urban tree cover can provide several ecological and public health benefits. Secondary datasets for Tampa, FL, including sociodemographic variables (e.g., race/ethnicity), health data, and interpolated values for features of tree cover (e.g., percent canopy and leaf area index) were analyzed using correlation and regression. Percent canopy cover and leaf area index were inversely correlated to respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes, yet only leaf area index displayed a significant association with respiratory conditions in the logistic regression model. Percent racial/ethnic minority residents at the block group level was significantly negatively correlated with median income and tree density. Leaf area index was also significantly lower in block groups with more African-American residents. The percentage of African Americans (p = 0.101) and Hispanics (p < 0.001) were positively associated with respiratory outcomes while population density (p < 0.001), percent canopy (p < 0.01), and leaf area index (p < 0.01) were negatively associated. In multivariate models, higher tree density, leaf area index, and median income were significantly negatively associated with respiratory cases. Block groups with a higher proportion of African Americans had a higher odds of displaying respiratory admissions above the median rate. Tree density and median income were also negatively associated with cardiovascular cases. Home ownership and tree condition were significantly positively associated with cardiovascular cases.
Literature
1.
Kardan O, Gozdyra P, Misic B, Moola F, Palmer LJ, Paus T, et al. Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center. Sci Rep. 2015;5, 11610:1–14.
2.
Shanahan D, Lin B, Bush R, et al. Toward improved public health outcomes from urban nature. Am J Public Health. 2015;105(3):470–7.PubMedPubMedCentral
3.
4.
Grimm NB, Faeth SH, Golubiewski NE, Redman CL, Wu J, Bai X, et al. Global change and the ecology of cities. Science. 2008;319(5864):756–60.PubMed
5.
Jennings V, Yun J, Larson L. Finding common ground: environmental ethics, social justice, and a sustainable path for nature-based health promotion. Healthcare. 2016;4(3):61.PubMedCentral
6.
Jennings V, Larson L, Yun J. Advancing sustainability through urban green space: cultural ecosystem services, equity, and social determinants of health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016;13(2):196.PubMedPubMedCentral
7.
Jennings V, Johnson Gaither C. Approaching environmental health disparities and green spaces: an ecosystem services perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(2):1952–68.PubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Kondo M, Fluehr J, McKeon T, Branas C. Urban green space and its impact on human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(3):445.PubMedCentral
9.
Silva RA, Rogers K, Buckley TJ. Advancing Environmental Epidemiology to Assess the Beneficial Influence of the Natural Environment on Human Health and Well-Being. ACS Publications; 2018;52(17), 9545–9555.
10.
Browning M, Rigolon A. Do income, race and ethnicity, and sprawl influence the greenspace-human health link in city-level analyses? Findings from 496 cities in the United States. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(7):1541.PubMedCentral
11.
Coutts C, Hahn M. Green infrastructure, ecosystem services, and human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015; 12(8): 9768–98.PubMedPubMedCentral
12.
Coutts C. Public Health Ecology, J Environ Health. 2010;72(6):53–5.
13.
Kondo MC, South EC, Branas CC. Nature-based strategies for improving urban health and safety. J Urban Health. 2015;92(5):1–15.
14.
Hartig T, Mitchell R, de Vries S, Frumkin H. Nature and health. Annu Rev Public Health. 2014;35(1):207–28.PubMed
15.
Wolf KL, Robbins AS. Metro nature, environmental health, and economic value. Environ Health Perspect. 2015;123(5):390–8.PubMedPubMedCentral
16.
Jackson L, Daniel J, McCorkle B, Sears A, Bush K. Linking ecosystem services and human health: the eco-health relationship browser. Int J Public Health. 2013;58(5):747–55.PubMed
17.
Larson L, Jennings V, Cloutier SA. Public parks and wellbeing in urban areas of the United States. PLoS One. 2016;11(4):e0153211.PubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Tsai W-L, Floyd MF, Leung Y-F, McHale MR, Reich BJ. Urban Vegetative Cover Fragmentation in the U.S: Associations with physical activity and BMi. Am J Prev Med. 2015;50(4):509–517.
19.
Jennings V, Bamkole O. The relationship between social cohesion and urban green space: an avenue for health promotion. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(3):452.PubMedCentral
20.
McCormack GR, Shiell A, Doyle-Baker PK, Friedenreich CM, Sandalack BA. Subpopulation differences in the association between neighborhood urban form and neighborhood-based physical activity. Health Place. 2014;28(0):109–15.PubMed
21.
Miles R, Coutts C, Mohamadi A. Neighborhood urban form, social environment, and depression. J Urban Health. 2012;89(1):1–18.PubMed
22.
Coutts C, Horner M, Chapin T. Using geographical information system to model the effects of green space accessibility on mortality in Florida. Geocarto Int. 2010;25(6):471–84.
23.
Shen Y-S, Lung S-CC. Mediation pathways and effects of green structures on respiratory mortality via reducing air pollution. Sci Rep. 2017;7, 42854:1–9.
24.
Donovan GH, Butry DT, Michael YL, Prestemon JP, Liebhold AM, Gatziolis D, et al. The relationship between trees and human health: evidence from the spread of the emerald ash borer. Am J Prev Med. 2013;44(2):139–45.PubMed
25.
Richardson EA, Mitchell R, Hartig T, de Vries S, Astell-Burt T, Frumkin H. Green cities and health: a question of scale? J Epidemiol Community Health. 2012;66:160–5.PubMed
26.
Kondo MC, Low SC, Henning J, Branas CC. The impact of green stormwater infrastructure installation on surrounding health and safety. Am J Public Health. 2015;105(3):e114–21.PubMedPubMedCentral
27.
Kuo M. How might contact with nature promote human health? Promising mechanisms and a possible central path–way. Front Psychol. 2015;6, 1093.
28.
Ward Thompson C, Roe J, Aspinall P, Mitchell R, Clow A, Miller D. More green space is linked to less stress in deprived communities: evidence from salivary cortisol patterns. Landsc Urban Plan. 2012;105:221–9.
29.
30.
Nowak DJ, Greenfield EJ. Tree and impervious cover in the United States. Landsc Urban Plan. 2012;107(1):21–30.
31.
Wheeler BW, Lovell R, Higgins SL, White MP, Alcock I, Osborne NJ, et al. Beyond greenspace: an ecological study of population general health and indicators of natural environment type and quality. Int J Health Geogr. 2015;14(1):17.PubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Flocks J, Escobedo F, Wade J, Varela S, Wald C. Environmental justice implications of urban tree cover in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Environ Justice. 2011;4(2):125–34.
33.
Escobedo FJ, Nowak DJ. Spatial heterogeneity and air pollution removal by an urban forest. Landsc Urban Plan. 2009;90(3–4):102–10.
34.
de Groot RS, Alkemade R, Braat L, Hein L, Willemen L. Challenges in integrating the concept of ecosystem services and values in landscape planning, management and decision making. Ecol Complex. 2010;7(3):260–72.
35.
Brown ME, Grace K, Shively G, Johnson KB, Carroll M. Using satellite remote sensing and household survey data to assess human health and nutrition response to environmental change. Popul Environ. 2014;36(1):48–72.PubMedPubMedCentral
36.
Myers S, Gaffikin L, Golden C, et al. Human health impacts of ecosystem alteration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(47):18753–60.PubMedPubMedCentral
37.
Jennings V, Johnson Gaither C, Gragg R. Promoting environmental justice through urban green space access: a synopsis. Environ Justice. 2012;5(1):1–7.
38.
Landry SM, Chakraborty J. Street trees and equity: evaluating the spatial distribution of an urban amenity. Environ Plan A. 2009;41(11):2651–70.
39.
Heynen N, Perkins HA, Roy P. The political ecology of uneven urban green space. Urban Aff Rev. 2006;42(1):3–25.
40.
Zhou X, Kim J. Social disparities in tree canopy and park accessibility: a case study of six cities in Illinois using GIS and remote sensing. Urban For Urban Green. 2013;12(1):88–97.
41.
Jennings V, Floyd MF, Shanahan D, Coutts C, Sinykin A. Emerging issues in urban ecology: implications for research, social justice, human health, and well-being. Popul Environ. 2017;39(1):69–86.
42.
Lovasi GS, O'Neil-Dunne J, Lu JWT, et al. Urban tree canopy and asthma, wheeze, rhinitis, and allergic sensitization to tree pollen in a New York City birth cohort. Environ Health Perspect. 2013;121(4):494–500.PubMedPubMedCentral
43.
Pataki DE, Carreiro MM, Cherrier J, Grulke NE, Jennings V, Pincetl S, et al. Coupling biogeochemical cycles in urban environments: ecosystem services, green solutions, and misconceptions. Front Ecol Environ. 2011;9(1):27–36.
44.
Benjamin MT, Winer AM. Estimating the ozone-forming potential of urban trees and shrubs. Atmos Environ. 1998;32(1):53–68.
45.
Karl T, Harley P, Emmons L, Thornton B, Guenther A, Basu C, et al. Efficient atmospheric cleansing of oxidized organic trace gases by vegetation. Science. 2010;330(6005):816–9.PubMed
46.
van den Berg M, Wendel-Vos W, van Poppel M, Kemper H, van Mechelen W, Maas J. Health benefits of green spaces in the living environment: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Urban For Urban Green. 2015;14(4):806–816.
47.
48.
49.
Nowak D, Crane D, Stevens C, Ibarra M. Brooklyn’s urban forest. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report 290. US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northern Research Station, Newtown Square, PA. 2002.
50.
51.
Andreu MG, Friedman MH, Landry SM, Northrop RJ. City of Tampa Urban Ecological Analysis 2006-2007. Final Report to the City of Tampa, April 24, 2008. City of Tampa, Florida; 2008.
52.
Landry SM, Andreu MG, Friedman MH, Northrop R. A report on the City of Tampa’s existing and possible urban tree canopy: final report to the City of Tampa. Tampa, Florida; 2009.
53.
Runfola DM, Polsky C, Nicolson C, Giner NM, Pontius RG Jr, Krahe J, et al. A growing concern? Examining the influence of lawn size on residential water use in suburban Boston, MA, USA. Landsc Urban Plan. 2013;119:113–23.
54.
Hernández-Stefanoni JL, Dupuy J. Mapping species density of trees, shrubs and vines in a tropical forest, using field measurements, satellite multiespectral imagery and spatial interpolation. Biodivers Conserv. 2007;16(13):3817–33.
55.
Kevin J, Hoef J, Krivoruchko K, Lucas N. Geostatistical analyst. Redlands, California; 2003.
56.
Jerrett M, Burnett RT, Renjun M, et al. Spatial analysis of air pollution and mortality in Los Angeles. J Epidemiol. 2005;16(6):727–36.
57.
Duque JC, Patino JE, Ruiz LA, Pardo-Pascual JE. Measuring intra-urban poverty using land cover and texture metrics derived from remote sensing data. Landsc Urban Plan. 2015;135:11–21.
58.
Voepel H, Ruddell B, Schumer R, Troch PA, Brooks PD, Neal A, et al. Quantifying the role of climate and landscape characteristics on hydrologic partitioning and vegetation response. Water Resour Res. 2011;47(10):1–13.
59.
Colson V, Garcia S, Rondeux J, Lejeune P. Map and determinants of woodlands visiting in Wallonia. Urban For Urban Gree. 2010;9(2):83–91.
60.
Chen B, Adimo OA, Bao Z. Assessment of aesthetic quality and multiple functions of urban green space from the users' perspective: the case of Hangzhou Flower Garden, China. Landsc Urban Plan. 2009;93(1):76–82.
61.
Corporation PMI. International Classification of Diseases, Nineth Edition (ICD-9-CM). Millennium Edition ed. Los Angeles, California; 2002.
62.
63.
64.
Hicken M, Gragg R, Hu H. How cumulative risks warrant a shift in our approach to racial health disparities: the case of lead, stress, and hypertension. Health Aff. 2011;30(10):1895–901.
65.
Gee GC, Payne-Sturges D. Environmental health disparities: a framework integrating psychosocial and environmental concepts. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113(1):A18.
66.
Payne-Sturges D, Gee GC. National environmental health measures for minority and low-income populations: tracking social disparities in environmental health. Environ Res. 2006;102(2):154–71.PubMed
67.
Truesdale BC, Jencks C. The health effects of income inequality: averages and disparities. Annu Rev Public Health. 2016;37:413–30.PubMed
68.
Mitchell R, Popham F. Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. Lancet. 2008;372(9650):1655–60.PubMed
69.
Braveman PA, Cubbin C, Egerter S, Williams DR, Pamuk E. Socioeconomic disparities in health in the United States: what the patterns tell us. Am J Public Health. 2010;100(S1):S186–96.PubMedPubMedCentral
70.
Corporation I. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. In (Vol.Version 24). Armonk, California; 2016.
71.
72.
Nowak DJ, Randler PB, Greenfield EJ, Comas SJ, Carr MA, Alig RJ. Sustaining America’s urban trees and forests: a Forests on the Edge report. Gen Tech Rep NRS-62 Newtown Square, PA: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station 27 p. 2010;62.
73.
Jensen PN, Thacker EL, Dublin S, Psaty BM, Heckbert SR. Racial differences in the incidence of and risk factors for atrial fibrillation in older adults: the cardiovascular health study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013;61(2):276–80.PubMed
74.
Pathak EB, Sloan MA. Recent racial/ethnic disparities in stroke hospitalizations and outcomes for young adults in Florida, 2001–2006. Neuroepidemiology. 2009;32(4):302–11.PubMed
75.
Beets PN, Bulman LS, Pearce SH. Relationships between leaf area, growth, tree health attributes, and LiDAR. 2008.
76.
Shanahan DF, Fuller RA, Bush R, Lin BB, Gaston KJ. The health benefits of urban nature: how much do we need? Bioscience. 2015;65:476–85.
77.
Schwarz K, Fragkias M, Boone CG, Zhou W, McHale M, Grove JM, et al. Trees grow on money: urban tree canopy cover and environmental justice. PLoS One. 2015;10(4):e0122051.PubMedPubMedCentral
78.
Jennings V, Larson C, Larson L. Ecosystem services and preventive medicine: a natural connection. Am J Prev Med. 2016;50(5):642–5.PubMed
79.
Shandas V, Voelkel J, Rao M, George L. Integrating high-resolution datasets to target mitigation efforts for improving air quality and public health in urban neighborhoods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016;13(790)
80.
Yue D, Rasmussen PW, Ponce NA. Racial/ethnic differential effects of Medicaid expansion on health care access. Health Serv Res. 2018;53(5):3640–56.PubMedPubMedCentral
81.
Bureau USC. Health Insurance Coverage Status American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates. 2009.
82.
Floyd MF, Spengler JO, Maddock JE, Gobster PH, Suau L. Environmental and social correlates of physical activity in neighborhood parks: an observational study in Tampa and Chicago. Leis Sci. 2008;30(4):360–75.
83.
Rigolon A, Browning M, Jennings V. Inequities in the quality of urban park systems: an environmental justice investigation of cities in the United States. Landsc Urban Plan. 2018;178:156–69.
84.
Rigolon A. A complex landscape of inequity in access to urban parks: a literature review. Landsc Urban Plan. 2016;153:160–9.
85.
Watkins SL, Mincey SK, Vogt J, Sweeney SP. Is planting equitable? An examination of the spatial distribution of nonprofit urban tree-planting programs by canopy cover, income, race, and ethnicity. Environ Behav. 2016;49(4):1–31.
86.
Xian G, Crane M, Steinwand D. Dynamic modeling of Tampa Bay urban development using parallel computing. Comput Geosci. 2005;31(7):920–8.
87.
Peterson MN, Thurmond B, McHale M, Rodriguez S, Bondell HD, Cook M. Predicting native plant landscaping preferences in urban areas. Sustain Cities Soc. 2012;5:70–6.
88.
van Oudenhoven APE, Petz K, Alkemade R, Hein L, de Groot RS. Framework for systematic indicator selection to assess effects of land management on ecosystem services. Ecol Indic. 2012;21:110–22.
89.
Wakefield S, Baxter J. Linking health inequality and environment justice: articulating a precautionary framework for research and action. Environ Justice. 2010;3(3):95–102.
90.
Tzoulas K, Korpela K, Venn S, Yli-Pelkonen V, Kaźmierczak A, Niemela J, et al. Promoting ecosystem and human health in urban areas using green infrastructure: a literature review. Landsc Urban Plan. 2007;81(3):167–78.
91.
Kramer MR, Valderrama AL, Casper ML. Decomposing black-white disparities in heart disease mortality in the United States, 1973–2010: an age-period-cohort analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2015;182(4):302–12.PubMedPubMedCentral
92.
93.
Stuart A, Mudhasakul S, Sriwatanapongse W. The social distribution of neighborhood-scale air pollution and monitoring protection. J Air Waste Manage Assoc. 2009;59(5):591–602.
94.
Prevention USCBatCoDCa. Small area health insurance estimates. 2008.
95.
Chapin FS, Lovecraft AL, Zavaleta ES, Nelson J, Robards MD, Kofinas GP, et al. Policy strategies to address sustainability of Alaskan boreal forests in response to a directionally changing climate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(45):16637–43.PubMedPubMedCentral
96.
Gupta K, Kumar P, Pathan SK, Sharma KP. Urban neighborhood green index: a measure of green spaces in urban areas. Landsc Urban Plan. 2012;105(3):325–35.
Metadata
Title
Structural Characteristics of Tree Cover and the Association with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health in Tampa, FL
Authors
Viniece Jennings
Richard Schulterbrandt Gragg III
C. Perry Brown
Dudley Hartel
Eric Kuehler
Alex Sinykin
Elijah Johnson
Michelle Kondo
Publication date
01-10-2019
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Urban Health / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1099-3460
Electronic ISSN: 1468-2869
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-019-00380-2

Other articles of this Issue 5/2019

Journal of Urban Health 5/2019 Go to the issue

OriginalPaper

Intimate Partner Violence and Depression among Black Transgender Women in the USA: The Potential Suppressive Effect of Perceived Social Support

Brief Report

Calibrating Local Population-Based Blood Pressure Data from NYC HANES 2013–2014

OriginalPaper

Utilization of Advance Care Planning for Homeless Adults: Case Studies

Correction

Correction to: Extending Data for Urban Health Decision-Making: a Menu of New and Potential Neighborhood-Level Health Determinants Datasets in LMICs

OriginalPaper

Built and Social Environment by Systematic Social Observation and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Report among Brazilian Adults: a Population-Based Study

OriginalPaper

“You Do Not Think of Me as a Human Being”: Race and Gender Inequities Intersect to Discourage Police Reporting of Violence against Women