Primary Submission Category: Environmental factors
Dynamic Tree Canopy Exposure and Cardiovascular Health: Insights from Mobile Phone Location Data
Authors: Hanxue Wei
Presenting Author: Hanxue Wei*
The relationship between green exposure and cardiovascular health has been increasingly documented, with studies showing that access to green spaces can have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. However, current research mainly focuses on measuring the tree canopy in people’s home neighborhoods to represent their green exposure, ignoring the potential impact of exposure to those in their workplaces or leisure destinations.
To address this gap, this study uses millions of mobile phone location data in 20 of the most populated metropolitan areas in the United States, enabling tracking of tree canopy exposure not only in home neighborhoods but also in destination neighborhoods. A weight matrix is used to represent the mobility connection intensity between neighborhoods. This study also uses census-tract-level data on tree canopy, socioeconomic factors, and built environment as control variables.
This study seeks to answer three questions: (1) does tree canopy exposure affect cardiovascular diseases? (2) How does the impact of tree canopy exposure in home neighborhoods differ from that in destination neighborhoods? (3) How does weekday and weekend tree canopy exposure in destination neighborhoods differ in their relationship to cardiovascular diseases?
The study found that a larger difference in canopy exposure between destination neighborhoods and home neighborhoods, particularly during weekends, is positively correlated with cardiovascular health. Overall, the study provides new insights into the relationship between green exposure and cardiovascular health, which can inform urban planning and forestry initiatives aimed at promoting cardiovascular health.