Smart Growth Resource Library

Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl

by: Smart Growth America

From the publication: Health experts agree: most Americans are too sedentary and weigh too much. Obesity has reached epidemic levels, and diseases associated with inactivity are also on the rise. What is creating this public health crisis? Much of the focus to date has been on whether Americans are eating too much fattening food. But researchers are starting to pay attention to the other half of the weight-gain equation: Americans’ low levels of physical activity. A pressing question for public health officials is whether the design of our communities makes it more difficult for people to get physical activity and maintain a healthy weight.

This report presents the first national study to show a clear association between the type of place people live and their activity levels, weight, and health. The study, Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity, and Morbidity, found that people living in counties marked by sprawling development are likely to walk less and weigh more than people who live in less sprawling counties. In addition, people in more sprawling counties are more likely to suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure). These results hold true after controlling for factors such as age, education, gender, and race and ethnicity.

Available online as a PDF at the resource link below.

Resource: http://www.smartgrowth.umd.edu/HealthSprawl8.03.pdf

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