Are Neighborhood Greenspaces Associated with Leisure-time Physical Activity? Results from ELSA-Brasil Eight-year Follow-up.

We investigated whether neighborhood greenspaces were associated with physical activity in adulthood over 3 cohort visits after considering perceived safety and neighborhood contextual factors. We also evaluated whether the association with greenspace varied by neighborhood socioeconomic status. Participants (N = 4,800) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) residing in two Brazilian state capitals were evaluated in Visits 1 (2008-2010), 2 (2012-2014) and 3 (2017-2019). Greenspaces were categorized by quintiles of positive Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) scores. Physical activity frequency was given by the number of visits at which participants reported moderate/vigorous physical activity (none, 1 or 2, and 3 visits). We used multinomial logistic regression. After adjustment for age, sex, education, research center, residence in slums, individuals in the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles showed 73% higher odds of physical activity over 3 visits than those in the 1st quintile (4th quintile: 95%CI = 1.24-2.43; 5th quintile: 95%CI = 1.24-2.41). The strength of the association was attenuated after adjustment for perceived safety. After adjustment for contextual factors quantity of sidewalks and streetlights, the OR for the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles decreased to 1.66 (95%CI = 1.18-2.33) and 1.62 (95%CI = 1.16-2.28), respectively. Finally, after including average household income per capita, the OR for physical activity in 3 visits for the 4th and 5th NDVI quintiles decreased to 1.48 (95%CI = 1.04-2.12) and 1.43 (95%CI = 1.00-2.04; p = 0.053), respectively. Greater greenspace contributed to sustained physical activity during the eight years of follow-up, indicating the potential contribution of public greenspaces to reducing health-related inequalities.

Availability of food stores around Brazilian schools.

The aim of this study was to analyze the availability of food stores in the territory of schools. Ecological study conducted in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with all schools (N=42) and food stores (N=656). Data were collected through the objective evaluation of the environment, and the stores were categorized into healthy, unhealthy, mixed and supermarkets. Bivariate Ripley´s K function assessed the existence of clustering of categories of stores in the territory of schools. All the schools had at least one food store in their territory. Unhealthy stores were the most common and closest to the schools. There were more stores around private schools, offering high school education, located in the central region and in the highest per capita income tercile. The bivariate Ripley´s K function showed evidence of clustering of stores at all analyzed distances (400 to 1.5 km) with up to 3 times more establishments than would be expected if they were randomly distributed. Therefore, schoolchildren were likely exposed to unhealthy food environments, regardless of neighborhood income and location, which may contribute to inadequate food choices.

Availability of food stores around Brazilian schools / Disponibilidade de estabelecimentos de venda de alimentos no entorno de escolas brasileiras

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze the availability of food stores in the territory of schools. Ecological study conducted in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with all schools (N=42) and food stores (N=656). Data were collected through the objective evaluation of the environment, and the stores were categorized into healthy, unhealthy, mixed and supermarkets. Bivariate Ripley´s K function assessed the existence of clustering of categories of stores in the territory of schools. All the schools had at least one food store in their territory. Unhealthy stores were the most common and closest to the schools. There were more stores around private schools, offering high school education, located in the central region and in the highest per capita income tercile. The bivariate Ripley´s K function showed evidence of clustering of stores at all analyzed distances (400 to 1.5 km) with up to 3 times more establishments than would be expected if they were randomly distributed. Therefore, schoolchildren were likely exposed to unhealthy food environments, regardless of neighborhood income and location, which may contribute to inadequate food choices.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a disponibilidade de estabelecimentos de venda de alimentos no território das escolas. Estudo ecológico conduzido em Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, com todas as escolas (N=42) e estabelecimentos de venda de alimentos (N=656). Dados foram coletados através de avaliação objetiva do ambiente, e estabelecimentos foram categorizados em saudáveis, não saudáveis, mistos e supermercados. Função K de Ripley bivariada avaliou a existência de agrupamento das categorias de estabelecimentos no território das escolas. Todas as escolas tinham no mínimo um estabelecimento de venda de alimentos em seu território. Estabelecimentos não saudáveis foram mais frequentes e próximos das escolas. Havia mais estabelecimentos no entorno de escolas particulares com ensino médio, localizadas na região central e de maior tercil de renda per capita. A função K de Ripley bivariada evidenciou o agrupamento de estabelecimentos em todas as distâncias analisadas (400 a 1,5 km), com três vezes mais estabelecimentos do que o esperado em uma distribuição aleatória. Portanto, escolares provavelmente estavam expostos a um ambiente alimentar não saudável, independentemente da renda da vizinhança e da localização das escolas, o que pode contribuir para escolhas alimentares inadequadas.

Neighborhood greenspace and cardiometabolic risk factors: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis in ELSA-Brasil participants.

Greater neighborhood greenspace has been associated with better cardiometabolic risk factors, especially in high-income countries. This cross-sectional and longitudinal study assessed this association in approximately 2000 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) residing in Belo Horizonte, a large Brazilian capital city. Neighborhood greenspace was studied through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and two additional types, percentages of tree cover and herbaceous cover. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of neighborhood greenspace with three metabolic factors - (i) obesity, (ii) abdominal obesity, and (iii) low HDL-cholesterol - after adjustment for individual sociodemographic factors and neighborhood average household income per capita. Cross-sectional results showed that higher neighborhood greenspace was associated with lower odds of obesity, abdominal obesity and low HDL-c. However, neighborhood greenspace was not associated with the incidence of any of these risk factors. The percentage of tree cover seemed to contribute more to the associations found with NDVI than the percentage of herbaceous cover. The results support the evidence that increased neighborhood greenspace contributes to maintain a better cardiometabolic health.

Fruit and vegetable consumption among older adults: influence of urban food environment in a medium-sized Brazilian city.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between urban food environment and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) by older adults from a medium-sized Brazilian city. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study based on data related to (1) objective assessment of establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods, mixed establishments and establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods; (2) regular consumption of FV (≥ 5 times/week), health and socio-demographic variables of community-dwelling older adults. Tertiles of proximity between food establishments and older adults' residence were calculated. Poisson generalised estimating equations with robust variance, adjusted for individual and contextual variables, were used to estimate the independent association between the proximity of establishments and regular consumption of FV. SETTING: Medium-sized Brazilian city. SUBJECTS: Representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (n 549). RESULTS: Older adults travelled the longest distances to establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods. The longer the distance to establishments with predominant sale of unprocessed/minimally processed foods, the lower the prevalence of regular consumption of FV (tertile 2: prevalence ratio (PR) = 0·86; 95 % CI = 0·74, 0·99; tertile 3: PR = 0·84; 95 % CI = 0·72, 0·97). Older adults living larger distance tertiles from establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods, mixed establishments or all categories of establishments had 16 % (PR = 0·84; 95 % CI = 0·73, 0·96), 19 % (PR = 0·81; 95 % CI = 0·71, 0·93) and 19 % (PR = 0·81; 95 % CI = 0·70, 0·94) lower prevalence of regular consumption of FV, respectively. CONCLUSION: The food environment is associated with regular consumption of FV among older adults. Longer distances from the residence of older adults to food establishments are independently associated with lower prevalence of regular consumption of FV.

Socioeconomic Disparities in the Community Food Environment of a Medium-Sized City of Brazil.

Objective: The purpose of this ecological study was to characterize the community food environment according to the socioeconomic condition of census tracts (CTs) in the urban area of a medium-sized city of southeastern Brazil in 2016.Method: Food establishments were identified on the streets covered by raters and information about type was collected through objective assessment. Geocoding was carried out from address observed by raters. Food establishments were categorized into establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, mixed establishments, and establishments with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods. The distribution of the number of establishments, by category, was evaluated according to tertiles of per capita income of the CT. The kernel estimation was used to analyze the density of establishments by category. The spatial pattern of the categories of establishments was investigated using the univariate Ripley's K-function.Results: A total of 656 establishments were evaluated. In all, 11.1% had predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, 44.5% were mixed, and 44.4% had predominant sale of ultra-processed foods. The average of establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods, of ultra-processed foods, and all categories increased according to the income of the CT. There was a clustering of all categories of establishments in high-income CTs downtown. However, peripheral and low-income CTs were composed of a higher number of mixed establishments or those with predominant sale of ultra-processed foods than establishments with predominant sale of natural or minimally processed foods.Conclusions: On average, the number of all categories of establishments increased according to the per capita income of the CT and were clustered in central and higher-income regions of the city. These findings may have practical implications for the development of public policies to increase the availability of healthy foods and to reduce the sale of unhealthy foods.

Prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity among the elderly: a population-based study / Prevalência e fatores associados à inatividade física em idosos: um estudo de base populacional

Abstract Objectives: To determine the prevalence of physical inactivity among elderly individuals in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais and identify associated factors. Method: A cross-sectional population-based study of 621 elderly persons was conducted in Viçosa, Minas Gerais. The dependent variable was physical inactivity, defined by the question "Do you practice some kind of physical activity?" The definition of the term "physical activity" was restricted to activities performed regularly, for at least 20 minutes, three times a week, disregarding domestic, industrial and transportation activities. The independent variables were age; gender; education; self-rated health; functional capacity; history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and osteoporosis; overweight; risk of metabolic disorders; smoking; number of medical appointments; history of hospitalizations in the last year and private health insurance. Descriptive analysis and multiple Poisson regression were used. Results: The prevalence of physical inactivity was 70.1% (95% CI: 66.0%-74.0%). The associated factors were the male gender, aged over 80 years, less educated, low functional capacity, smokes and did not have private health insurance. Conclusion: The high prevalence of physical inactivity and its associated factors indicate the need to develop systematic approaches to improve public policies directed at this age group.

Resumo Objetivos: Determinar a prevalência de inatividade física entre idosos do município de Viçosa-MG e identificar seus fatores associados. Método: Estudo transversal de base populacional conduzido no município de Viçosa-MG com 621 idosos. Considerou-se como variável dependente a inatividade física, definida pela questão: "O(a) senhor(a) pratica alguma atividade física?" A prática de atividade física considerada restringiu-se àquela realizada regularmente, por pelo menos 20 minutos, três vezes por semana, desconsiderando-se as atividades domésticas, laborais e no deslocamento. As variáveis independentes foram: idade; sexo; escolaridade; autopercepção da saúde; capacidade funcional; história de diabetes, hipertensão, dislipidemias e osteoporose; excesso de peso; risco de alteração metabólica; tabagismo; número de consultas; história de internação hospitalar no último ano e possuir plano privado de saúde. Realizou-se análise descritiva e análise de regressão de Poisson múltipla. Resultados: A prevalência de inatividade física foi de 70,1% (IC 95%: 66,0%-74,0%). Os fatores associados foram sexo masculino, ter idade acima de 80 anos, menor escolaridade, capacidade funcional inadequada, fumar e não possuir plano de saúde privado. Conclusão: A alta prevalência de inatividade física e seus fatores associados indicam a necessidade de desenvolvimento de estratégias sistemáticas para aprimorar as políticas públicas direcionadas para esse grupo etário.

[The "Em Comum-Idade" community intervention project: contributions to the promotion of health among the elderly of Viçosa in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil]. / Projeto de intervenção comunitária "Em Comum-Idade": contribuições para a promoção da saúde entre idosos de Viçosa, MG, Brasil.

Actions to promote health among the elderly are extremely important for the prevention of diseases and complications arising from the aging process. In this context, the "Em Comum-Idade" community intervention project emerged. The objective of this article was to evaluate the impact of the actions of this project on anthropometric measurements and functional physical fitness of the participants at the end of the interventions. The variables analyzed were: body mass index, waist circumference, waist hip ratio, waist height ratio, power of the lower members, flexibility of upper and lower members and agility and dynamic balance. The sample consisted of 82 participants. Most participants were female, had not completed elementary school and attended less than 50% of the activities. There were no significant changes in the values of anthropometric measurements between the initial and final evaluations of the participants. Significant improvement was found for the values of tests of functional physical fitness among those who attended most of the actions of the project. It is important to maintain health promotion actions for long periods of time in order to get results that positively impact the health status and quality of life of the elderly.

Projeto de intervenção comunitária "Em Comum-Idade": contribuições para a promoção da saúde entre idosos de Viçosa, MG, Brasil / The "Em Comum-Idade": community intervention project: contributions to the promotion of health among the elderly of Viçosa in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Resumo Ações de promoção da saúde na terceira idade são de extrema relevância para a prevenção de doenças e agravos decorrentes do processo de envelhecimento. Nesse contexto, surgiu o projeto de intervenção comunitária “Em Comum-Idade”. O objetivo deste artigo foi avaliar o impacto das ações deste projeto nas medidas antropométricas e na aptidão física funcional dos participantes, ao final da participação nas intervenções. As variáveis analisadas foram: Índice de Massa Corporal, Perímetro da Cintura, Relação Cintura/Quadril, Relação Cintura/Estatura, força de membros inferiores, flexibilidade de membros inferiores e superiores e agilidade e equilíbrio dinâmico. A amostra foi composta por 82 participantes. A maioria era do sexo feminino, não tinha o primeiro grau completo e frequentou menos de 50% das atividades. Não houve mudanças significantes para os valores de medidas antropométricas entre as avaliações inicial e final dos participantes. Foi encontrada melhora significante para os valores de testes de aptidão física funcional entre aqueles que mais participaram das ações do projeto. Ressalta-se a importância de se manter ações de promoção da saúde por longos períodos de tempo a fim de se obter resultados que impactem positivamente as condições de saúde e a qualidade de vida de idosos.

Abstract Actions to promote health among the elderly are extremely important for the prevention of diseases and complications arising from the aging process. In this context, the “Em Comum-Idade” community intervention project emerged. The objective of this article was to evaluate the impact of the actions of this project on anthropometric measurements and functional physical fitness of the participants at the end of the interventions. The variables analyzed were: body mass index, waist circumference, waist hip ratio, waist height ratio, power of the lower members, flexibility of upper and lower members and agility and dynamic balance. The sample consisted of 82 participants. Most participants were female, had not completed elementary school and attended less than 50% of the activities. There were no significant changes in the values of anthropometric measurements between the initial and final evaluations of the participants. Significant improvement was found for the values of tests of functional physical fitness among those who attended most of the actions of the project. It is important to maintain health promotion actions for long periods of time in order to get results that positively impact the health status and quality of life of the elderly.