Are the burbs killing you?
Evidence is growing that suburban sprawl leads to health problems for people who opt to live in the burbs. The first study to evaluate the impact of sprawl on 16 medical conditions revealed that those living in the most sprawling metro areas had significantly higher rates of lung disease and breathing problems, migraine or chronic, severe headaches, arthritis, abdominal complaints, such as ulcers, and bladder problems. Surprisingly, increases in hypertension and cardiovascular disease described in previous reports on sprawl and obesity were not significant in this one.
The most obvious reason for the jump in sprawl-related illness, according to the authors, is constraints on physical activity in communities without connected streets, nearby shops, or sidewalks. Physical activity has a positive effect on overall health and may directly impact arthritis. Likewise, air pollution from cars is known to contribute to the lung diseases, asthma, and possibly headaches described in this study, which was published last week in the journal Public Health.
To counteract some of the effects of sprawl, health professionals often suggest people leave their cars at home and use bicycles for transportation. Last week, a British Medical Journal study explored how to persuade people to do that. Sadly, the authors concluded that in the 22 studies on this subject they analyzed, no one had an answer. "The balance of best available evidence about publicity campaigns, engineering measures, and other interventions suggests that they have not been effective," they wrote. -Amanda Spake
This story appears in the October 11, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
advertisement
