The Effects of Urban Containment Policies on Public Health

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 17; no. 9; p. 3275
• Main Authors: Jeon, Jeongbae, Kim, Solhee, Kwon, Sung Moon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 08.05.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Blood pressure; Buffer zones; Built Environment; Central business districts; Commuting; Containment; Diabetes; Disease; Econometrics; Economic models; Environment Design; Exercise; Green belts; Health risks; Humans; Hypertension; Land use; Metropolitan areas; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - prevention & control; Personal health; Physical fitness; Policy; Population density; Public Health; Public transportation; Regression analysis; Rural areas; Transportation; Urban areas; Urban environments; Urban Health; Urban planning; Urban sprawl; Urbanization; United States > US; spatial economic analysis; urban containment policy; obesity; public health; greenbelt
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17093275

Public health risks such as obesity are influenced by numerous personal characteristics, but the local spatial structure such as an area's built environment can also affect the obesity rate. This study analyzes and discusses how a greenbelt plan as a tool of urban containment policy has an effect on obesity. This study conducted spatial econometric regression models with five factors (13 variables) including transportation, socio-economic, public health, region, and policy factors. The relationship was analyzed between two policy effects of a greenbelt (i.e., a green buffer zone) and obesity. The variables for two policy effects of greenbelt zones are the size of the greenbelt and the inside and outside areas of the greenbelt. The results indicate that the two variables have negative effects on obesity. The results of the analyses in this study have several policy implications. Greenbelts play a role as an urban growth management policy, leading to a reduced obesity rate due to the influence of the transportation mode. In addition, greenbelts can also reduce the obesity rate because they provide recreation spaces for people.