Luxembourg National Research Fund

BACK TO RESEARCH WITH IMPACT: FNR HIGHLIGHTS

Unhealthy lifestyles – unbalanced diet and physical inactivity – are the main factor in the leading cause of death in the world: cardiometabolic disease. Our socioeconomic environment plays a role in these lifestyle choices. Over a 9-year period, researchers are looking at how socio-economic and physical environmental characteristics of residential neighbourhoods shape our physical activity, nutritional behaviour and cardiometabolic health.

Every year, nearly 4 million deaths in Europe – 45% of all deaths – can be traced back to cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as abdominal fat all contribute to an increased the risk of developing cardiometabolic disease such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Known as “metabolic syndrome”, this cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors, also is a common health condition that affects about a quarter of the adult population in Luxembourg.

Where we live makes a difference

Traditionally, approaches to cardiometabolic disease prevention have focused on the risk factors at the individual level, such as socioeconomic status, knowledge or education. It has been recognised that the environment in which we live also plays a key role in shaping behaviours.

“In the past years, an increasing number of studies have suggested that urban landscape is likely to affect cardiometabolic health of city dwellers. For example, previous studies have found that living in a deprived neighbourhood in term of socioeconomic status and resources – low access to amenities, public transport infrastructure, green space and healthy food stores – is associated with increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease,” explains public health nutritionist Marion Tharrey.

The importance of a long-term look

Previously, most research focused on measurement of neighbourhood environment at one point in time, leaving a knowledge gap when it comes to understanding the effects of changes over time and cumulative exposure of neighbourhood characteristics on health. From a public health perspective, a crucial gap to fill to better understand the causal relationship between events: Which variable influences the other one, in this case with a focus on neighbourhood characteristics and cardiovascular health.

Investigating this causal relationship requires the collection of a large amount of data, both on an individual and environmental level, over a long period of time. Strong multidisciplinary collaboration among epidemiologists, public spatial scientists and local stakeholders in public health and urban planning is crucial for success.

Focus on changes in cardiometabolic risk factors

With an interdisciplinary approach, public health nutritionist Marion Tharrey explores changes in various cardiometabolic risk factors, dietary patterns, and physical activity in relation to change in residential features.

“I use data from the ORISCAV-LUX survey, a nationwide cardiovascular health monitoring programme in Luxembourg, led by the Luxembourg Institute of Health. This survey includes two waves of data collection from 2007 and 2018 for over 630 adults across the country. For each wave and each participant, we are extracting a large number of environmental, socio-economic, built and natural characteristics of residential neighbourhoods,” Marion explains.

“Collecting all the geospatial data for the two waves of the ORISCAV-LUX study is a challenge for the team! I hope that the results of the project will provide valuable information to support urban planning that promotes cardiometabolic health.”

Dr Marion Tharrey is a Public health nutritionist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).

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