Children living in areas with more street trees have lower prevalence of asthma

• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2007.071894
• Publication Date: 2008-05-04T11:53:19Z
• Authors: G S Lovasi; J W Quinn; K M Neckerman; M S Perzanowski; A Rundle
• Keywords: Adolescent; Infant, Newborn; Urban Health; Infant; Asthma; Trees; 3. Good health; Hospitalization; Cross-Sectional Studies; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; 13. Climate action; Child, Preschool; 11. Sustainability; Prevalence; Humans; New York City; Child

The prevalence of childhood asthma in the USA increased by 50% from 1980 to 2000, with especially high poor urban communities.Data on among children aged 4-5 years and hospitalisations for less than 15 old were available 42 health service catchment areas within New York City. Street tree counts provided City Department Parks Recreation. proximity pollution sources, sociodemographic characteristics population density each area also measured.Controlling potential confounders, an increase 1 standard deviation (SD, 343 trees/km(2)) was associated a lower (RR, 0.71 per SD density; 95% CI, 0.64 0.79), but not 0.89 0.75 1.06).Street trees early asthma. This study does permit inference that are causally related at individual level. PlaNYC sustainability initiative, which includes commitment plant one million year 2017, offers opportunity large prospective evaluation.