Neighborhood Fast-Food Environments and Hypertension in Canadian Adults

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. Neighborhoods characterized by a high proportion of fast-food outlets may also contribute to hypertension in residents; however, limited research has explored these associations. This cross-sectional study assessed the associations between neighborhood fast-food environments, measured hypertension, and self-reported hypertension.

Data from 10,700 adults living in urban areas were obtained from six Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles (2007-2019). Each participant's blood pressure was measured at a mobile clinic six times. Measured hypertension was defined as having an average systolic blood pressure ≥140 or a diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or being on blood pressure-lowering medication. Participants were also asked whether they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure or whether they take blood pressure-lowering medication (i.e., self-reported hypertension). The proportion of fast-food outlets relative to the sum of fast-food outlets and full-service restaurants in each participant's neighborhood was obtained from the Canadian Food Environment Dataset, and analyses were conducted in 2022.

The mean proportion of fast-food outlets was 23.3% (SD=26.8%). A one SD increase in the proportion of fast-food outlets was associated with higher odds of measured hypertension in the full sample (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.05, 1.31) and in sex-specific models (women: OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.01, 1.29; men: OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.03, 1.43). Associations between the proportion of fast-food outlets and self-reported hypertension were inconclusive.

Findings suggest that reducing the proportion of fast-food restaurants in neighborhoods may be a factor that could help reduce hypertension rates.