Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: As cities densify, researcher and policy focus is intensifying on which green space types and qualities are important for health. We conducted a systematic review to examine whether particular green space types and qualities have been shown to provide health benefits and if so, which specific types and qualities, and which health outcomes. (2) Methods: We searched five databases from inception up to June 30, 2021. We included all studies examining a wide range of green space characteristics on various health outcomes. (3) Results: 68 articles from 59 studies were found, with a high degree of heterogeneity in study designs, definitions of quality and outcomes. Most studies were cross-sectional, ecological or cohort studies. Environment types, vegetation types, and the size and connectivity of green spaces were associated with improved health outcomes, though with contingencies by age and gender. Health benefits were more consistently observed in areas with greater tree canopy, but not grassland. The main outcomes with evidence of health benefits included allergic respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions and psychological wellbeing. Both objectively and subjectively measured qualities demonstrated associations with health outcomes. (4) Conclusion: Experimental studies and longitudinal cohort studies will strengthen current evidence. Evidence was lacking for needs-specific or culturally-appropriate amenities and soundscape characteristics. Qualities that need more in-depth investigation include indices that account for forms, patterns, and networks of objectively and subjectively measured green space qualities.

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Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182212257 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (22) ◽

pp. 12257

Author(s):

Zubair Ahmed Ratan ◽

Anne-Maree Parrish ◽

Sojib Bin Zaman ◽

Mohammad Saud Alotaibi ◽

Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Background: Smartphones play a critical role in increasing human–machine interactions, with many advantages. However, the growing popularity of smartphone use has led to smartphone overuse and addiction. This review aims to systematically investigate the impact of smartphone addiction on health outcomes. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review. Five electronic databases including Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies. Eligible studies were screened against predetermined inclusion criteria and data were extracted according to the review questions. This review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020181404). The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: A total of 27 of 2550 articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies were cross-sectional and focused on physical, mental, and neurological health outcomes. The majority of the studies focused on mental health outcomes and consistent associations were observed between smartphone addiction and several mental health outcomes. Anxiety and depression were commonly found to mediate mental health problems. A wide range of physical health sequelae was also associated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, there was an association between smartphone addiction and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are consistent associations between smartphone addiction and physical and mental health, especially mental health. Social awareness campaigns about smartphone addiction and its impact on physical and mental health are needed. Further studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are warranted to validate the impacts of smartphone addiction.

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The Isocaloric Substitution of Plant-Based and Animal-Based Protein in Relation to Aging-Related Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu14020272 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 272

Author(s):

Jiali Zheng ◽

Tianren Zhu ◽

Guanghuan Yang ◽

Longgang Zhao ◽

Fangyu Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Health Effect ◽

Plant Protein ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Processed Meat ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Meat Protein ◽

Cvd Mortality

Plant-based and animal-based protein intake have differential effects on various aging-related health outcomes, but less is known about the health effect of isocaloric substitution of plant-based and animal-based protein. This systematic review summarized current evidence of the isocaloric substitutional effect of plant-based and animal-based protein on aging-related health outcomes. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for epidemiologic observational studies published in English up to 15 March 2021. Studies that included adults ≥18 years old; use of a nutritional substitution model to define isocaloric substitution of plant protein and animal protein; health outcomes covering mortality, aging-related diseases or indices; and reported association estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were included. Nine cohort studies and 3 cross-sectional studies were identified, with a total of 1,450,178 subjects included in this review. Consistent and significant inverse association of substituting plant protein for various animal proteins on all-cause mortality was observed among 4 out of 5 studies with relative risks (RRs) from 0.54 to 0.95 and on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among all 4 studies with RRs from 0.58 to 0.91. Among specific animal proteins, the strongest inverse association on all-cause and CVD mortality was identified when substituting plant protein for red and/or processed meat protein, with the effect mainly limited to bread, cereal, and pasta protein when replacing red meat protein. Isocaloric substitution of plant-based protein for animal-based protein might prevent all-cause and CVD-specific mortality. More studies are needed on this topic, particularly for cancer incidence and other specific aging-related diseases.

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Why a New Research Agenda on Green Spaces and Health Is Needed in Latin America: Results of a Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115839 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5839

Author(s):

David Rojas-Rueda ◽

Elida Vaught ◽

Daniel Buss

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Latin America ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Search Strategy ◽

Green Space ◽

Positive Association ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cross Sectional Studies

(1) Background: Increasing and improving green spaces have been suggested to enhance health and well-being through different mechanisms. Latin America is experiencing fast population and urbanization growth; with rising demand for interventions to improve public health and mitigate climate change. (2) Aim: This study aimed to review the epidemiological evidence on green spaces and health outcomes in Latin America. (3) Methods: A systematic literature review of green spaces and health outcomes was carried out for studies published in Latin America before 28 September 2020. A search strategy was designed to identify studies published in Medline via PubMed and LILACS. The search strategy included terms related to green spaces combined with keywords related to health and geographical location. No time limit for the publication was chosen. The search was limited to English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French published articles and humans’ studies. (4) Findings: This systematic review found 19 epidemiological studies in Latin America related to green spaces and health outcomes. Nine studies were conducted in Brazil, six in Mexico, three in Colombia, and one in Chile. In terms of study design, 14 were cross-sectional studies, 3 ecological, and 2 cohort studies. The population included among the studies ranged from 120 persons to 103 million. The green space definition used among studies was green density or proximity (eight studies), green presence (five studies), green spaces index (four studies), and green space visit (two studies). The health outcomes included were mental health (six studies), overweight and obesity (three studies), quality of life (three studies), mortality (two studies), cardiorespiratory disease (one study), disability (one study), falls (one study), and life expectancy (one study). Eleven studies found a positive association between green spaces and health, and eight studies found no association. (5) Conclusion: This systematic review identified 19 epidemiological studies associating green spaces and health outcomes in Latin America. Most of the evidence suggests a positive association between green spaces and health in the region. However, most of the evidence was supported by cross-sectional studies. Prioritizing longitudinal studies with harmonized exposure and outcome definitions and including vulnerable and susceptible populations is needed in the region.

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Clinical Interventions for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND): A Systematic Review

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3302 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 896-896

Author(s):

Hannah Mitchell ◽

Erin Robinson ◽

Allison Donehower

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Study Design ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Neurocognitive Disorder ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hiv Associated Neurocognitive Disorder ◽

Cognitive Therapies

Abstract Despite the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) continues to be one of the most common central nervous system complications of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The severity and prevalence of HAND underscores the need for safe, effective therapies to mitigate or eliminate the impacts of the disorder to improve the quality of life of individuals living with HAND. The current study conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding experimental studies of clinical therapeutic interventions for HAND. An electronic search of four databases (PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Ovid MEDLINE, and CINAHL) initially returned 4,280 articles, 31 of which met the inclusion criteria for this study. Articles were selected for inclusion based on several criteria, including the use of a clinical experimental study design and measurement of neuropsychological performance. A large number of studies were excluded due to utilizing observational or cross-sectional designs, relevance, or for otherwise not meeting inclusion criteria. The results of this review revealed 31 articles that investigated both pharmaceutical and cognitive therapies for HAND. Pharmaceutical interventions range from common antiretroviral therapies to novel drug classes with various mechanisms of action. Importantly, this review revealed a number of limitations present in the greater body of HAND research including inconsistencies among methods of diagnosis of HAND and study design, which ultimately make comparisons across studies difficult. This review presents the current evidence that exists regarding therapies for HAND and broadly discusses trends, limitations, and gaps in the literature.

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The Effect of Green Space on the Physiologic Function of the Adult: A Systematic Review

10.28971/532021fb99 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Brenna Franco

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Green Space ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Disease Awareness ◽

Obesity And Diabetes ◽

Physiologic Function ◽

Cardiovascular Illness

Environmental greenness is often associated with improved psychological outcomes, but the use of green space as a protective factor for maintaining physiologic health is understudied. However, growing evidence exists on the benefit of greenness on physiologic health. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of green space on the physiologic function of the adult. Cohort studies were searched for that had all elements of inclusion criteria. Six final studies were included in this systematic review utilizing PRISMA guidelines and CASP tool for cohort studies. Data from the studies was collected and a cross study analysis was conducted to compare all studies and assess for themes in study outcomes. Results of this review demonstrate that green space has a protective effect on physiologic health. Areas with higher levels of greenness are associated with lower prevalence of central obesity, diabetes mellitus, and self-reported rates of cardiovascular disease and stroke as well as decreased rates of mortality from cancers, and kidney and respiratory diseases. Implications of this study include the importance in understanding risk factors for development of disease. Awareness of a patient’s environment that includes natural spaces should be identified as a potential risk factor for the development of cardiovascular illness, obesity, and diabetes mellitus.

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Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: The Persistent Symptoms at the Post-viral Stage of the Disease. A Systematic Review of the Current Data

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.653516 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Francesca Salamanna ◽

Francesca Veronesi ◽

Lucia Martini ◽

Maria Paola Landini ◽

Milena Fini

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Current Data ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Persistent Symptoms ◽

Collection Form

Whilst the entire world is battling the second wave of COVID-19, a substantial proportion of patients who have suffered from the condition in the past months are reporting symptoms that last for months after recovery, i. e., long-term COVID-19 symptoms. We aimed to assess the current evidence on the long-term symptoms in COVID-19 patients. We did a systematic review on PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from database inception to February 15, 2021, for studies on long-term COVID-19 symptoms. We included all type of papers that reported at least one long-term COVID-19 symptom. We screened studies using a standardized data collection form and pooled data from published studies. Cohort cross-sectional, case-report, cases-series, case-control studies, and review were graded using specific quality assessment tools. Of 11,361 publications found following our initial search we assessed 218 full-text articles, of which 145 met all selection criteria. We found that 20.70% of reports on long-term COVID-19 symptoms were on abnormal lung functions, 24.13% on neurologic complaints and olfactory dysfunctions, and 55.17% on specific widespread symptoms, mainly chronic fatigue, and pain. Despite the relatively high heterogeneity of the reviewed studies, our findings highlighted that a noteworthy proportion of patients who have suffered from SARS-CoV-2 infection present a “post-COVID syndrome.” The multifaceted understanding of all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including these long-term symptoms, will allow us to respond to all the global health challenges, thus paving the way to a stronger public health.

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Abstract P269: Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and the Risk of Cardiovascular Outcomes and All-cause Mortality: A Systematic Review

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p269 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Kunihiro Matsushita ◽

Ning Ding ◽

Esther Kim

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Arterial Stiffness ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Stiffness Evaluation ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Cross Sectional Studies

Introduction: Arterial stiffness is widely used as an index of arteriosclerosis and is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recently, cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was developed as a measurement of arterial stiffness that is independent of blood pressure at the time of arterial stiffness evaluation. The associations of CAVI with CVD events and all-cause mortality have not been extensively assessed. We therefore systematically reviewed the studies reporting CAVI and relevant outcomes. Methods: We searched for both prospective and cross-sectional studies using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to April 11, 2017. Two independent reviewers screened the retrieved papers, extracted relevant data and assessed the risk of bias. Any discrepancy was solved by discussion or a third reviewer. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I 2 statistic. We pooled the results of studies that were sufficiently homogeneous. Results: Among 1,519 records, we identified 9 cohort studies (n=5,292) and 17 cross-sectional eligible studies (n=7,309). All 9 cohort studies reported the outcome of composited CVD (498 cases), but the categorization/modeling of CAVI was not consistent across those studies. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of CVD for the highest vs. lowest CAVI category in 3 studies was borderline significant (pooled HR=1.34 [0.95, 1.87], p=0.092) (I 2 = 25.2%, p=0.263). For 3 studies examining the continuous association between CAVI and CVD, 1standard deviation (SD) increment of CAVI was significantly associated with CVD risk (pooled HR=1.22 [1.03, 1.45], p=0.023) (I 2 = 27.1%, p=0.253). Only 3 cohort studies investigated CAVI and all-cause mortality, and none of them reported a significant association. All 17 cross-sectional studies reported higher CAVI values in patients with CVD compared to those without CVD, with statistical significance in most studies. Conclusions: CAVI was generally higher in patients with CVD compared to their counterparts. In terms of the prospective prognostic value of CAVI, we found a limited number of studies, but they indicated a modest association between CAVI and CVD risk. Our systematic review highlighted the need for large prospective studies to assess the usefulness of CAVI as a predictor of CVD and mortality.

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Are Clinical Outcomes Associated With Medication Regimen Complexity? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1177/1060028019886846 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 301-313 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vanessa Alves-Conceição ◽

Kérilin Stancine Santos Rocha ◽

Fernanda Vilanova Nascimento Silva ◽

Rafaella de Oliveira Santos Silva ◽

Sabrina Cerqueira-Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Case Control ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Medication Regimen ◽

Medication Regimen Complexity ◽

Complexity Index ◽

Regimen Complexity

Background: Current evidence of the influence of the medication regimen complexity (MRC) on the patients’ clinical outcomes are not conclusive. Objective: To systematically and analytically assess the association between MRC measured by the Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and clinical outcomes. Methods: A search was carried out in the databases Cochrane Library, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Open Thesis, and Web of Science to identify studies evaluating the association between MRC and clinical outcomes that were published from January 1, 2004, to April 2, 2018. The search terms included outcome assessment, drug therapy, and medication regimen complexity index and their synonyms in different combinations for case-control and cohort studies that used the MRCI to measure MRC and related the MRCI with clinical outcomes. Odds ratios (ORs), hazard ratios (HRs), and mean differences (WMDs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. Results: A total of 12 studies met the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis showed that MRC is associated with the following clinical outcomes: hospitalization (HR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.14 to 1.27; I2 = 0%) in cohort studies, hospital readmissions (WMD = 7.72; 95% CI = 1.19 to 14.25; I2 = 84%) in case-control studies, and medication nonadherence (adjusted OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.07; I2 = 0%) in cohort studies. Conclusion and Relevance: This systematic review and meta-analysis gathered relevant scientific evidence and quantified the combined estimates to show the association of MRC with clinical outcomes: hospitalization, hospital readmission, and medication adherence.

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Circulating calcium levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114519001430 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 122 (04) ◽

pp. 376-387 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Zhu ◽

P. Xun ◽

J. C. Bae ◽

J. H. Kim ◽

D. J. Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Glucose Homeostasis ◽

De Novo ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Relative Risks ◽

Ca Homeostasis

AbstractAbnormal Ca homeostasis has been associated with impaired glucose metabolism. However, the epidemiological evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess the association between circulating Ca levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or abnormal glucose homeostasis through conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible studies were identified by searching electronic database (PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar) and related references withde novoresults from primary studies up to December 2018. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the weighted relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for the associations. The search yielded twenty eligible publications with eight cohort studies identified for the meta-analysis, which included a total of 89 165 participants. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of albumin-adjusted serum Ca, the pooled RR was 1·14 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·24) for T2DM (n51 489). Similarly, serum total Ca was associated with incident T2DM (RR 1·25; 95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) (n64 502). Additionally, the adjusted RR for 1 mg/dl increments in albumin-adjusted serum Ca or serum total Ca levels was 1·16 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·27) and 1·19 (95 % CI 1·11, 1·28), respectively. The observed associations remained with the inclusion of a cohort study with ionised Ca as the exposure. However, data pooled from neither case–control (n4) nor cross-sectional (n8) studies manifested a significant correlation between circulating Ca and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, accumulated data from the cohort studies suggest that higher circulating Ca levels are associated with an augmented risk of T2DM.

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A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health?

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12010007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Vigar ◽

Myers ◽

Oliver ◽

Arellano ◽

Robinson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Human Health ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Organic Food ◽

Observational Research ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Current Evidence Base ◽

Organic Food Consumption

The current review aims to systematically assess the evidence related to human health outcomes when an organic diet is consumed in comparison to its conventional counterpart. Relevant databases were searched for articles published to January 2019. Clinical trials and observational research studies were included where they provided comparative results on direct or indirect health outcomes. Thirty-five papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Few clinical trials assessed direct improvements in health outcomes associated with organic food consumption; most assessed either differences in pesticide exposure or other indirect measures. Significant positive outcomes were seen in longitudinal studies where increased organic intake was associated with reduced incidence of infertility, birth defects, allergic sensitisation, otitis media, pre-eclampsia, metabolic syndrome, high BMI, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The current evidence base does not allow a definitive statement on the health benefits of organic dietary intake. However, a growing number of important findings are being reported from observational research linking demonstrable health benefits with organic food consumption. Future clinical research should focus on using long-term whole-diet substitution with certified organic interventions as this approach is more likely to determine whether or not true measurable health benefits exist.

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