Philip Hurvitz Archives - Research Portal

Neighborhood greenspace and neighborhood income associated with white matter grade worsening: Cardiovascular Health Study

Besser, L. M., Lovasi, G. S., Zambrano, J. J., Camacho, S., Dhanekula, D., Michael, Y. L., Garg, P., Hirsch, J. A., Siscovick, D., Hurvitz, P. M., Biggs, M. L., Galvin, J. E., Bartz, T. M., & Longstreth, W. T. (2023). Neighborhood greenspace and neighborhood income associated with white matter grade worsening: Cardiovascular Health Study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia : Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 15(4), e12484–e12484. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12484

View Publication

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
We examined whether a combined measure of neighborhood greenspace and neighborhood median income was associated with white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and ventricle size changes.

METHODS
The sample included 1260 cognitively normal ≥ 65‐year‐olds with two magnetic resonance images (MRI; ≈ 5 years apart). WMH and ventricular size were graded from 0 (least) to 9 (most) abnormal (worsening = increase of ≥1 grade from initial to follow‐up MRI scans). The four‐category neighborhood greenspace–income measure was based on median neighborhood greenspace and income values at initial MRI. Multivariable logistic regression tested associations between neighborhood greenspace–income and MRI measures (worsening vs. not).

RESULTS
White matter grade worsening was more likely for those in lower greenspace–lower income neighborhoods than higher greenspace–higher income neighborhoods (odds ratio = 1.73; 95% confidence interval = 1.19–2.51).

DISCUSSION
The combination of lower neighborhood income and lower greenspace may be a risk factor for worsening white matter grade on MRI. However, findings need to be replicated in more diverse cohorts.

HIGHLIGHTS
Population‐based cohort of older adults (≥ 65 years) with greenspace and MRI data
Combined measure of neighborhood greenspace and neighborhood income at initial MRI
MRI outcomes included white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and ventricular size
Longitudinal change in MRI outcomes measured approximately 5 years apart
Worsening WMH over time more likely for lower greenspace‐lower income neighborhoods

Keywords

built environment; green space; magnetic resonance imaging; neighborhood; socioeconomic status

Association of Perceived Neighborhood Environments With Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Kim, B., Rosenberg, D. E., Dobra, A., Barrington, W. E., Hurvitz, P. M., & Belza, B. (2023). Association of Perceived Neighborhood Environments With Cognitive Function in Older Adults. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(8), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20230707-04

View Publication

Abstract

The current study examined the associations between perceptions of the social and physical neighborhood environments and cognitive function in older adults. This cross-sectional study analyzed 821 adults aged & GE;65 years from the Adult Changes in Thought study. Perceived neighborhood attributes were measured by the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale. Cognitive function was assessed using the Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument. The associations were tested using multivariate linear regression. One point greater perceived access to public transit was associated with 0.56 points greater cognitive function score (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.25, 0.88]), and an additional one point of perceived sidewalk coverage was related to 0.22 points higher cognitive function score (95% CI [0.00, 0.45]) after controlling for sociodemographic factors. The perception of neighborhood attributes alongside physical infrastructure may play an important role in supporting older adults' cognitive function.

Keywords

Built environment; Physical-activity; Dementia; Reverse; Walking; Disease

Time-Varying Food Retail and Incident Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Lovasi, G. S., Boise, S., Jogi, S., Hurvitz, P. M., Rundle, A. G., Diez, J., Hirsch, J. A., Fitzpatrick, A., Biggs, M. L., & Siscovick, D. S. (2023). Time-Varying Food Retail and Incident Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(6), 877–887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.02.001

Clean Energy Justice: Different Adoption Characteristics of Underserved Communities in Rooftop Solar and Electric Vehicle Chargers in Seattle

Min, Yohan, Lee, Hyun Woo, & Hurvitz, Philip M. (2023). Clean Energy Justice: Different Adoption Characteristics of Underserved Communities in Rooftop Solar and Electric Vehicle Chargers in Seattle. Energy Research & Social Science, 96.

View Publication

Abstract

Concerns over global climate change have led to energy transition to clean energy systems with the development of various clean energy policies. However, social equity issues have emerged in association with the rapid transition of energy systems related to distributed energy resources (DERs), evidenced by disparities in clean energy access. While most existing studies have focused on several variables impacting the adoption of DERs, there is a dearth of studies concerning distributional and recognition justice specifically aimed at investigating: (1) which DER adoption variable is the most important among several variables identified in the literature; and (2) how adoption patterns vary by technologies and communities. The objective of the present study is to answer the two questions by examining the geographic distribution of rooftop solar and electric vehicle (EV) chargers and the related community attributes. Also, the study involves identifying latent variables by addressing inter-correlations among several adoption determinants. The results show that rooftop solar and EV charger adoptions in Seattle present disparities associated with geographic locations and community attributes. In particular, housing variables are the main indicators for rooftop solar adoption and even stronger in communities with low adoption rates. EV charger adoptions are strongly associated with economic variables. Furthermore, spatial inequality of rooftop solar adoption is higher than that of EV charger adoption. The study suggests housing-related support may increase the adoption of both technologies, particularly in communities with low adoption rates. Considering that the installations of rooftop solar and EV chargers were concentrated in particular communities, the study results imply that policies aimed at increasing the adoption of DERs should be tailored to local community characteristics.

Mediating Role of Walking between Perceived and Objective Walkability and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Kim, Boeun, Barrington, Wendy E., Dobra, Adrian, Rosenberg, Dori, Hurvitz, Philip, & Belza, Basia. (2022). Mediating Role of Walking between Perceived and Objective Walkability and Cognitive Function in Older Adults. Health & Place, 79.

View Publication

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the role of walking in explaining associations between perceived and objective measures of walkability and cognitive function among older adults. The study employed a cross-sectional design analyzing existing data. Data were obtained from the Adult Changes in Thought Activity Monitor study. Cognitive function and perceived walkability were measured by a survey. Objective walkability was measured using geographic information systems (GIS). Walking was measured using an accelerometer. We tested the mediating relationship based on 1,000 bootstrapped samples. Perceived walkability was associated with a 0.04 point higher cognitive function score through walking (p = 0.006). The mediating relationship accounted for 34% of the total relationship between perceived walkability and cognitive function. Walking did not have a significant indirect relationship on the association between objective walkability and cognitive function. Perceived walkability may be more relevant to walking behavior than objective walkability among older adults. Greater levels of perceived walkability may encourage older adults to undertake more walking, and more walking may in turn improve cognitive function in older adults.

Keywords

Built environment; Cognitive function; Walking; Mediation analysis; Older adults

Impact of a Light Rail Transit Line on Physical Activity: Findings from the Longitudinal Travel Assessment and Community (TRAC) Study

Saelens, Brian E., Hurvitz, Philip M., Zhou, C., Colburn, T., Marchese, A., & Moudon, Anne Vernez (2022). Impact of a Light Rail Transit Line on Physical Activity: Findings from the Longitudinal Travel Assessment and Community (TRAC) Study. Journal of Transport & Health, 27.

View Publication

Abstract

Increasing transit infrastructure could increase transit use and result in higher physical activity if users actively travel to access transit. Few studies have rigorously examined transit use and physical activity change from before to years after among residents living close versus farther away from new transit options.Methods: An initial sample (n = 722) of residents living either close (1 mile network distance; unexposed) from future new light rail transit (LRT) stops in the Seattle/King County area were recruited and assessed prior to LRT opening and again 1-2 and 3-4 years later. At each assessment timepoint, residents wore an accelerometer and GPS data logger for 7 days and completed a 7-day travel log and demographic and attitudinal survey. Difference-in-difference analyses examined longitudinal change between those exposed versus unexposed to LRT in physical activity, walking (both utilitarian and recreational), and transit-related walking, and transit use.Results: There was no differential change by LRT exposure in overall physical activity (including or not including light intensity physical activity), recreational walking, or utilitarian walking, with most decreasing significantly in both exposure conditions through follow-ups. There was a differential change in transit-related walking, with those exposed to LRT slightly increasing such physical activity to the most distal follow-up, but the difference from the unexposed condition was modest (<2 min/day). There was no substantial differential change over time in transit use by LRT exposure.Conclusions: Exposure to a new light rail line did not markedly change the frequency of transit use of nearby residents, but did result in a small increase in transit-related walking relative to those unexposed. This did not differentially change the amount of overall physical activity or time spent walking compared to residents living farther away from the new LRT.

Keywords

Public Transit; Accelerometer Data; Built Environment; Behavior; Walking; Transportation; Neighborhood; Time; GPS

Associations between Neighborhood Built Environment, Residential Property Values, and Adult BMI Change: The Seattle Obesity Study III

Buszkiewicz, James H.; Rose, Chelsea M.; Ko, Linda K.; Mou, Jin; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Cook, Andrea J.; Drewnowski, Adam. (2022). Associations between Neighborhood Built Environment, Residential Property Values, and Adult BMI Change: The Seattle Obesity Study III. SSM-Population Health, 19.

View Publication

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between neighborhood built environment (BE) variables, residential property values, and longitudinal 1-and 2-year changes in body mass index (BMI). Methods: The Seattle Obesity Study III was a prospective cohort study of adults with geocoded residential addresses, conducted in King, Pierce, and Yakima Counties in Washington State. Measured heights and weights were obtained at baseline (n = 879), year 1 (n = 727), and year 2 (n = 679). Tax parcel residential property values served as proxies for individual socioeconomic status. Residential unit and road intersection density were captured using Euclidean-based SmartMaps at 800 m buffers. Counts of supermarket (0 versus. 1+) and fast-food restaurant availability (0, 1-3, 4+) were measured using network based SmartMaps at 1600 m buffers. Density measures and residential property values were categorized into tertiles. Linear mixed-effects models tested whether baseline BE variables and property values were associated with differential changes in BMI at year 1 or year 2, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, home ownership, and county of residence. These associations were then tested for potential disparities by age group, gender, race/ethnicity, and education. Results: Road intersection density, access to food sources, and residential property values were inversely associated with BMI at baseline. At year 1, participants in the 3rd tertile of density metrics and with 4+ fast-food restaurants nearby showed less BMI gain compared to those in the 1st tertile or with 0 restaurants. At year 2, higher residential property values were predictive of lower BMI gain. There was evidence of differential associations by age group, gender, and education but not race/ethnicity. Conclusion: Inverse associations between BE metrics and residential property values at baseline demonstrated mixed associations with 1-and 2-year BMI change. More work is needed to understand how individual-level sociodemographic factors moderate associations between the BE, property values, and BMI change.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; Food Environment; Socioeconomic-status; Weight-gain; Health; Quality

Differences in Weight Gain Following Residential Relocation in the Moving to Health (M2H) Study

Cruz, Maricela; Drewnowski, Adam; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Cook, Andrea; Mooney, Stephen J.; Buszkiewicz, James H.; Lozano, Paula; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Kapos, Flavia; Theis, Mary Kay; Anau, Jane; Arterburn, David. (2022). Differences in Weight Gain Following Residential Relocation in the Moving to Health (M2H) Study. Epidemiology, 33(5), 747-755.

View Publication

Abstract

Background: Neighborhoods may play an important role in shaping long-term weight trajectory and obesity risk. Studying the impact of moving to another neighborhood may be the most efficient way to determine the impact of the built environment on health. We explored whether residential moves were associated with changes in body weight. Methods: Kaiser Permanente Washington electronic health records were used to identify 21,502 members aged 18-64 who moved within King County, WA between 2005 and 2017. We linked body weight measures to environment measures, including population, residential, and street intersection densities (800 m and 1,600 m Euclidian buffers) and access to supermarkets and fast foods (1,600 m and 5,000 m network distances). We used linear mixed models to estimate associations between postmove changes in environment and changes in body weight. Results: In general, moving from high-density to moderate- or low-density neighborhoods was associated with greater weight gain postmove. For example, those moving from high to low residential density neighborhoods (within 1,600 m) gained an average of 4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0, 5.9) lbs 3 years after moving, whereas those moving from low to high-density neighborhoods gained an average of 1.3 (95% CI = -0.2, 2.9) lbs. Also, those moving from neighborhoods without fast-food access (within 1600m) to other neighborhoods without fast-food access gained less weight (average 1.6 lbs [95% CI = 0.9, 2.4]) than those moving from and to neighborhoods with fast-food access (average 2.8 lbs [95% CI = 2.5, 3.2]). Conclusions: Moving to higher-density neighborhoods may be associated with reductions in adult weight gain.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Neighborhood Socioeconomic-status; New-york-city; Built Environment; Physical-activity; Food Environment; Urban Sprawl; Risk-factors; Obesity; Walking; Electronic Medical Records; Fast Foods; Population Density; Residential Density; Residential Moves; Supermarkets

Environments Perceived as Obesogenic Have Lower Residential Property Values

Drewnowski, Adam; Aggarwal, Anju; Rehm, Colin D.; Cohen-Cline, Hannah; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne V. (2014). Environments Perceived as Obesogenic Have Lower Residential Property Values. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 47(3), 260 – 274.

View Publication

Abstract

Background: Studies have tried to link obesity rates and physical activity with multiple aspects of the built environment. Purpose: To determine the relation between residential property values and multiple perceived (self-reported) measures of the obesogenic environment. Methods: The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS) used a telephone survey of a representative, geographically distributed sample Of 2,001 King County adults, collected in 2008-2009 and analyzed in 2012-2013. Home addresses were geocoded. Residential property values at the tax parcel level were obtained from the King County tax assessor. Mean residential property values within a 10-minute walk (833-m buffer) were calculated for each respondent. Data on multiple perceived measures of the obesogenic environment were collected by self-report. Correlations and multi-variable linear regression analyses, stratified by residential density, were used to examine the associations among perceived environmental measures, property values, and BMI. Results: Perceived measures of the environment such as crime, heavy traffic, and proximity to bars, liquor stores, and fast food were all associated with lower property values. By contrast, living in neighborhoods that were perceived as safe, quiet, clean, and attractive was associated with higher property values. Higher property values were associated, in turn, with lower BMIs among women. The observed associations between perceived environment measures and BMI were largely attenuated after accounting for residential property values. Conclusions: Environments perceived as obesogenic are associated with lower property values. Studies in additional locations need to explore to what extent other perceived environment measures can be reflected in residential property values. (C) 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; Objective Measures; Childhood Obesity; Food Stores; Neighborhood Disorder; Atherosclerosis Risk; Collective Efficacy; Racial Composition; Built Environment

GPS or Travel Diary: Comparing Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Visits to Fast Food Restaurants and Supermarkets

Scully, Jason Y.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Aggarwal, Anju; Drewnowski, Adam. (2017). GPS or Travel Diary: Comparing Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Visits to Fast Food Restaurants and Supermarkets. Plos One, 12(4).

View Publication

Abstract

To assess differences between GPS and self-reported measures of location, we examined visits to fast food restaurants and supermarkets using a spatiotemporal framework. Data came from 446 participants who responded to a survey, filled out travel diaries of places visited, and wore a GPS receiver for seven consecutive days. Provided by Public Health Seattle King County, addresses from food permit data were matched to King County tax assessor parcels in a GIS. A three-step process was used to verify travel-diary reported visits using GPS records: (1) GPS records were temporally matched if their timestamps were within the time window created by the arrival and departure times reported in the travel diary; (2) the temporally matched GPS records were then spatially matched if they were located in a food establishment parcel of the same type reported in the diary; (3) the travel diary visit was then GPS-sensed if the name of food establishment in the parcel matched the one reported in the travel diary. To account for errors in reporting arrival and departure times, GPS records were temporally matched to three time windows: the exact time, +/-10 minutes, and +/-30 minutes. One third of the participants reported 273 visits to fast food restaurants; 88% reported 1,102 visits to supermarkets. Of these, 77.3 percent of the fast food and 78.6 percent supermarket visits were GPS-sensed using the +/-10-minute time window. At this time window, the mean travel-diary reported fast food visit duration was 14.5 minutes (SD 20.2), 1.7 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. For supermarkets, the reported visit duration was 23.7 minutes (SD 18.9), 3.4 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. Travel diaries provide reasonably accurate information on the locations and brand names of fast food restaurants and supermarkets participants report visiting.

Keywords

Global Positioning System; Fast Food Restaurants; Self-evaluation; Public Health; Supermarkets; Geoinformatics; Comparative Studies; Biology And Life Sciences; Computer And Information Sciences; Diet; Earth Sciences; Eating; Engineering And Technology; Food; Food Consumption; Geographic Information Systems; Geography; Medicine And Health Sciences; Nutrition; Physiological Processes; Physiology; Public And Occupational Health; Research And Analysis Methods; Research Article; Research Design; Survey Research; Surveys; Transportation; Global Positioning Systems; Environment; Neighborhood; Exposure; Health; Consumption; Tracking; Adults; Associations; Dietary