Research
Adherence
More green space in a neighborhood tends to be associated with a lower risk and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), although the evidence is not as strong as for walkability.
While the evidence is not conclusive, living in an area with more green space may be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. This could be due to increased physical activity or stress reduction.
ModerateQualifiesLOW confidence
more green space tended to be associated with lower T2DM risk/prevalence (n = 6, OR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.8–1.0; I2 = 95%).
Why this rating
Based on a meta-analysis of 6 studies with very high heterogeneity (I2=95%) and a confidence interval that includes 1.0.
Source
Built environmental characteristics and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Nicolette R. den Braver et al. · BMC Medicine · 2018
DOI 10.1186/s12916-017-0997-z
Meta-analysis · 40 studiesCited 234×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Living in an urban residence is associated with a significantly higher risk and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to living in a rural residence.Good
- Higher neighborhood walkability is associated with a lower risk and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Good
- There is no convincing evidence of an association between the food environment (e.g., availability of supermarkets, fast-food outlets) and T2DM risk or prevalence.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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