UM Study Links Neighborhood Greenness to Reduction in Chronic Diseases among Miami-Dade Seniors

A new study of a quarter-million Miami-Dade County Medicare beneficiaries showed that higher levels of neighborhood greenness, including trees, grass and other vegetation, were linked to a significant reduction in the rate of chronic illnesses, particularly in low- to middle-income neighborhoods.

Led by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences and the University of Miami School of Architecture, the study showed that higher greenness was linked to significantly lower rates of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, as well as fewer chronic health conditions.

The findings, published online April 6 by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, are based on 2010-11 health data reported for approximately 250,000 Miami-Dade Medicare beneficiaries over age 65, and a measure of vegetative presence based on NASA satellite imagery. The study was the first of its kind to examine block-level greenness and its relationship to health outcomes in older adults, and the first to measure the impact of greenness on specific cardio-metabolic diseases.

Read the full article here: http://med.miami.edu/news/um-study-links-neighborhood-greenness-to-reduction-in-chronic-diseases-amon