title: Neighborhood Characteristics and Cardiovascular Risk among Older People in Japan: Findings from the JAGES Project.
abstract: Previous studies have found an association between neighborhood characteristics (i.e., aspects of the physical and social environment) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and elevated CVD risk. This study investigated the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and CVD risk among older people in Japan where research on this association is scarce. Data came from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study project; questionnaire data collected from 3,810 people aged 65 years or older living in 20 primary school districts in Aichi prefecture, Japan, was linked to a computed composite CVD risk score based on biomarker data (i.e., hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and estimated glomerular filtration rate). A sex-stratified multilevel linear regression analysis revealed that for male participants, living in neighborhoods with a higher perceived occurrence of traffic accidents and reduced personal safety was associated with an elevated CVD risk (coefficient = 1.08 per interquartile range increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30 to 1.86) whereas males living in neighborhoods with a higher perceived proximity of exercise facilities had a lower risk (coefficient = -1.00, 95% CI = -1.78 to -0.21). For females, there was no statistically significant association between neighborhood characteristics and CVD risk. This study suggests that aspects of the neighborhood environment might be important for CVD morbidity and mortality in Japan, particularly among men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Stockholm Center for Health and Social Change (Scohost), Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stickley
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, School of Law and Letters, University of the Ryukyus, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kokoro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Airi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amemiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Social Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.|Center for Well-being and Society, Nihon Fukushi University, Nagoya City, Aichi, Japan.|Department of Gerontological Evaluation, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu City, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.affiliation: Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masamichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanazato
authors.affiliation: Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Norimichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL