Abstract: This study investigated the effect of proximity to city parks on blood pressure
categories during the first trimester of pregnancy. This cross-sectional study included
3,416 female residents of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, who were enrolled in the
FP7 PHENOTYPE project study. The women were classified into four blood pressure
categories: optimal, normal, high-normal blood pressure, and hypertension.
Multinomial regression models were used to investigate the association between three
women’s groups with respect to the residence distances from city parks (300, >300–1,000,
and >1,000 m) and four blood pressure categories. When using the optimal blood pressure
as the reference group, the crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) for normal blood pressure
and for high-normal blood pressure proved to be statistically significantly higher after the
inclusion of the selected covariates into the regression analysis. The probability of normal
blood pressure increased by 9%, and that of high-normal blood pressure—by 14% for
every 300 m increase in the distance to green spaces. The findings of this study suggest a beneficial impact of nearby city parks on blood pressure amongst 20- to 45-year-old
women. This relationship has important implications for the prevention of hypertension
and the reduction of hypertension-related morbidity.
Keywords: city park proximity; blood pressure groups; women; GIS;
multinomial regression analysis