Residential Greenness and Frailty Among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort in China.
Anna Zhu, Lijing Yan, Chenkai Wu and 1 others
PMID 31870716WHAT IT FOUND
Living in greener neighborhoods was linked with less frailty among 16,238 older Chinese adults.
The link was seen in urban areas but not rural areas.
Key findings
01Participants in the highest greenness quartile had a 14% lower odds of frailty than those in the lowest quartile (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.97).
02Each 0.1-unit increase in annual average NDVI was associated with an OR of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93, 0.99) of frailty.
03When the analysis was stratified by residence, the association was significant for urban residents (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.96) but not rural residents (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.02).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
It is a cohort study, so it reports an association and does not test green space as a treatment. NDVI measured vegetation density only, not the structure of green space or the types of vegetation. The study did not know participants' activity patterns or how they used green space. Only a 500 m radius around the home was used, and other distances were not tested. Many participants died or were lost to follow-up, and those with follow-up were younger and less frail at baseline. Frailty was split into categories, which may be less sensitive than the continuous deficit score. The study lacked mechanisms, and physical activity was measured with a simple yes or no question. Socioeconomic definitions were relatively crude for the study population.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that moving to a greener area or adding green space will reduce frailty. This was an observational cohort, and the authors say the potential benefit of residential greenness requires further study.