Neighborhood walkable urban form and C-reactive protein

Walkable urban form predicts physical activity and lower body mass index, which lower C-reactive protein (CRP). However, urban form is also related to pollution, noise, social and health behavior, crowding, and other stressors, which may complement or contravene walkability effects.

This paper assesses within-neighborhood correlation of CRP, and whether three features of walkable urban form (residential density, street connectivity, and land use mix) are associated with CRP levels.

CRP measures (n=610) and sociodemographic data come from the 2001-3 Chicago Community Adult Health Study, linked with objective built environment data.

Within-neighborhood correlations of CRP are greater than those of related health measures. A one standard deviation increase in residential density predicts significantly higher log CRP (e.g. β=0.11, p<.01) in Chicago, while a one standard deviation increase in land use mix predicts significantly lower CRP (e.g. β=-0. 19, p<0.01). Street connectivity is unrelated to CRP in this highly walkable city.

Results suggest that residential density may be a risk factor for inflammation, while greater walkability of mixed land use areas may be protective. It may be that negative aspects of density overcome the inflammatory benefits of walking.