By Kimberly Goad
AARP
If you were asked to name the factors that raise your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes or any other disease affected by lifestyle, you’d likely mention the usual suspects: drinking too much, exercising too little, smoking. And you wouldn’t be wrong.
A growing body of research, however, suggests some surprising culprits should be added to the list. They have nothing to do with lifestyle habits and everything to do with what experts call your “built environment.” That used to mean just places and spaces like parks, buildings and transportation systems. But the definition has expanded to include a neighborhood’s walkability and bikeability, as well as access to healthy food and community gardens.
One study, published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that people who live with an abundance of environmental adversities — like air pollution and water pollution, heavily trafficked roads and a dearth of green spaces — may have up to twice the risk for developing heart disease and stroke.
“Our health isn’t just about what we eat or how often we exercise; it’s also about the world right outside our front door,” says David Rojas, M.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University and Colorado School of Public Health. “The neighborhood we live in plays a surprisingly large role in our well-being, often without us even realizing it.
“Think about your daily routine,” Rojas adds. “Do you have a park nearby for a morning walk? What’s the quality of the air you breathe? Is there a corner store or farmers’ market where you can buy fresh produce? These seemingly small details of our built environment can have a big impact on our health as we age.”
Is your neighborhood making you sick? Keep reading for five ways your environment might be affecting your health.
1. It’s short on green spaces
The obvious health benefit of having easy access to a park isn’t the only one. Sure, parks are like an open invitation to stay physically active. But turns out there’s more at play.
“Exposure to green spaces has been linked to lower levels of stress hormones, improved mood and overall well-being,” says Sarju Ganatra, M.D., medical director of sustainability and director of the Cardio-Oncology Program at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Massachusetts.
One review of research published in 2022 in JAMA Network Open suggests that exposure to green spaces also improves cognitive function. A team of researchers compared cognitive test results of more than 13,500 women, average age 61, against the amount of green space they had easy access to and found that the women living in areas with more green space had higher scores on thinking speed, attention and overall cognitive function.
“Parks can foster social interactions and community cohesion, which are also beneficial for mental and emotional health,” Ganatra says. That’s not all. “The presence of trees and greenery can improve air quality and reduce urban heat, contributing to better physical health outcomes.”
2. Roads are congested
Aside from the headache of simply getting around, heavy traffic also ensures more time sitting. Research shows that people with long driving times are less physically active and more likely to have other lifestyle habits — like smoking, and poor eating and sleeping habits — that raise their risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and death from any cause. But that’s not the only health consequence of bottlenecks, traffic jams, gridlock and the like.
“The constant hum of traffic brings with it a cocktail of less visible problems that can affect our well-being,” Rojas says. “Air pollution from vehicle emissions can irritate our lungs, pass through the blood, and strain our heart and brain over time. The persistent noise can also disrupt sleep and raise blood pressure levels.”
3. It’s not conducive to walking
Good luck logging the recommended 7,500 to 10,000 steps per day if your neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks or — just as bad, maybe worse — the sidewalks are in such disrepair they function as an obstacle course.
A report examining how neighborhoods affect the health and well-being of people 50 and older found that those living in more accessible neighborhoods are more likely to walk outside over the course of a typical week compared with those in less walkable neighborhoods. A study published in 2022 in the journal Obesity looked at neighborhood walkability across the U.S. — defined as those with more intersections, sidewalks, easy-to-navigate crosswalks and few cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets — and found that people in highly walkable neighborhoods were more likely to be physically active, walk near their home and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who live in low-walkability neighborhoods. Same goes for cities that have bike-sharing and designated bike lanes.
“Cities designed with health in mind make it easier for us to make good choices,” Rojas says. “When we have safe sidewalks, bike lanes and green spaces, we’re more likely to be physically active. It’s like having an invisible health partner working for us every day.”
4. Fresh food is in short supply
It isn’t just easy access to fast food that influences eating habits; it’s the inaccessibility of good-for-you foods too.
Research shows that people who live in what are known as food deserts — areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food — are at greater risk for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease than those who live in healthier food environments.
“Access to healthy foods is crucial for maintaining good health,” Ganatra says. “Diets rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and unprocessed foods are associated with lower risks of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”
5. Crime is high
Even if you live in the equivalent of a fortress — a house in a gated community or housing with an impenetrable front desk — research shows that neighborhood crime can impact health, even if you’re not directly impacted by the violence. Possible effects include increases in blood pressure and obesity, both risk factors for cardiovascular disease, found a study published in 2022 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
The researchers zeroed in on deaths due to cardiovascular disease in Chicago over a 14-year period and found that communities experiencing the greatest decrease in violent crime rates also had the greatest decline in deaths from cardiovascular disease. The communities with the smallest decrease in crime, on the other hand, had a significantly smaller decline in mortality rates.
“Living in a high-crime area can affect our health, even if we feel safe inside our own homes. It’s as if the stress of our wider environment seeps into our daily lives, impacting us in subtle but significant ways,” Rojas says. “The solution isn’t just about individual security measures. It’s about creating communities where everyone feels safe and connected. This could mean better lighting in public spaces, community watch programs or more opportunities for neighbors to come together and look out for each other.”
