A joint study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine has found that residing in walkable neighborhoods may act as a safeguard against the risk of obesity-related cancers in women.
This includes postmenopausal breast cancer, alongside ovarian, endometrial cancer, and multiple myeloma. The findings have been shared in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.
Link Between Walkability and Lower Cancer Risk
Neighborhood walkability, characterized by urban design that encourages pedestrian activities and overall physical activity, is related to lower body mass index and, consequently, a decreased risk of 13 types of cancer in women.
The study, followed across 24 years, revealed that women in highly walkable neighborhoods experienced a 26% lower risk of obesity-related cancers in comparison to those in low walkability areas.
This association is particularly stark for postmenopausal breast cancer, with additional moderate protective correlations identified for other cancers.
Urban Design as a Preventative Measure
Dr. Andrew Rundle, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, emphasized that these findings substantiate the expanding evidence of the impact of urban design on health and wellness in aging demographics.
He highlighted that while individual-level interventions to heighten physical activity and mitigate obesity tend to be expensive and yield temporary effects, urban design can establish a context that boosts walking, enhances overall physical activity, and reduces reliance on vehicles, potentially aiding in the prevention of diseases connected to unhealthy weight.
Noteworthy Observations and Methodology
Lead author Sandra India-Aldana, Ph.D., underscored the observation that the correlation between high neighborhood walkability and reduced risk of overall obesity-related cancers was notably more substantial for women residing in neighborhoods characterized by elevated poverty levels.
This indicates the pertinence of neighborhood social and economic environments in relation to the risk of developing obesity-related cancers.
Spanning nearly three decades, the researchers studied 14,274 women, aged between 34 and 65, initially recruited at a mammography screening center in New York City from 1985 to 1991.
Throughout the study, neighborhood walkability was measured within the participants’ residential Census tract, with associations between neighborhood walkability and risk of overall and site-specific obesity-related cancers being assessed.
By the conclusion of 2016, 18% of the women studied developed a first obesity-related cancer, with the most common being postmenopausal breast cancer (53%), followed by colorectal cancer (14%), and endometrial cancer (12%).
Pivotal Long-Term Study
Co-author Yu Chen, Ph.D., noted the uniqueness of the study, spotlighting its long-term follow-up, which allowed the research team to analyze walkability effects related to cancers with potential extended latency periods and to measure neighborhood walkability as participants relocated nationwide throughout the study.
In conclusion, this extensive research unveils the pivotal relationship between neighborhood walkability and the reduced risk of obesity-related cancers, underscoring the potential health impacts of urban design and the necessity of considering socio-economic factors in addressing cancer risks.
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The research findings can be found in Environmental Health Perspectives.
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