Jia X, Yu Y, Xia W, Masri S, Sami M, Hu Z, Yu Z, Wu J. 2018. Physical exercise, built environment and cardiovascular diseases in middle aged and older adults in China. Environmental Research 167: 175-183.
Dr. Wu’s group surveyed 1944 subjects in Bengbu, China, on their physical activity patterns and life styles, obtained their cardiovascular outcome measures through onsite physical exams or medical records, examined neighborhood greenness and walkability through satellite data and onsite investigation, and conducted sophisticated statistical analysis accounting for within-community and within-subdistrict correlations. We found that both physical exercise and built environment factors were associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and the associations of greenness and walkability with the cardiovascular diseases were partially explained by physical exercise.