Associations of greenness with diabetes mellitus and glucose-homeostasis markers: The 33 Communities Chinese Health Study

Bo-Yi Yang; Iana Markevych; Joachim Heinrich; Gayan Bowatte; Michael S Bloom; Yuming Guo; Shyamali C Dharmage; Bin Jalaludin; Luke D Knibbs; Lidia Morawska; Zhengmin Min Qian; Duo-Hong Chen; Huimin Ma; Da Chen; Shao Lin; Mo Yang; Kang-Kang Liu; Xiao-Wen Zeng; Li-Wen Hu; Guang-Hui Dong

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.12.001

Associations of greenness with diabetes mellitus and glucose-homeostasis markers: The 33 Communities Chinese Health Study

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2019 Mar;222(2):283-290. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.12.001. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Authors

Bo-Yi Yang¹, Iana Markevych², Joachim Heinrich³, Gayan Bowatte⁴, Michael S Bloom⁵, Yuming Guo⁶, Shyamali C Dharmage⁷, Bin Jalaludin⁸, Luke D Knibbs⁹, Lidia Morawska¹⁰, Zhengmin Min Qian¹¹, Duo-Hong Chen¹², Huimin Ma¹³, Da Chen¹⁴, Shao Lin⁵, Mo Yang¹, Kang-Kang Liu¹, Xiao-Wen Zeng¹, Li-Wen Hu¹, Guang-Hui Dong¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
² Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstraße 1, 80336, Munich, Germany; Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany; Division of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
³ Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstraße 1, 80336, Munich, Germany; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich, German Center for Lung Research, Ziemssenstraße 1, 80336, Munich, Germany.
⁴ Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population & Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, 20000, Sri Lanka.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
⁷ Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population & Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Murdoch Children Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
⁸ Centre for Air Quality and Health Research and Evaluation, Glebe, NSW, 2037, Australia; Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia; School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.
⁹ School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, 4006, Australia.
¹⁰ International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia.
¹¹ Department of Epidemiology, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, 63104, USA.
¹² Department of Air Quality Forecasting and Early Warning, Guangdong Environmental Monitoring Center, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Air Quality Monitoring, Guangdong Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Secondary Pollution, Guangzhou, 510308, China.
¹³ State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
¹⁴ School of Environment, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
¹⁵ Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. Electronic address: donggh5@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

PMID: 30545606
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.12.001

Abstract

Background: Residing in greener places may be protective against diabetes mellitus (DM) but evidence is scarce and comes mainly from developed countries.

Objectives: To investigate associations of residential greenness with DM prevalence and glucose-homeostasis markers in Chinese adults and whether these associations were mediated by air pollution, physical activity, and body mass index.

Methods: In 2009, a total of 15,477 adults from the cross-sectional 33 Communities Chinese Health Study provided blood samples and completed a questionnaire. We considered fasting and 2-h glucose and insulin concentrations, as well as the homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and β-cell function, as glucose-homeostasis markers. DM was defined according to the American Diabetes Association's recommendations. Residential greenness was estimated by two satellite-derived vegetation indexes - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). Nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter ≤2.5 μm were used as air pollution proxies. Associations were assessed by two-level adjusted logistic and linear regression models.

Results: A 0.1-unit increase in NDVI_{500 m} and SAVI_{500 m} was significantly associated with lower odds of DM by factors of 0.88 (95% Confidence Interval 0.82-0.94) and 0.80 (0.72-0.90), respectively. Higher greenness was also significantly associated with lower fasting and 2-h glucose levels, 2-h insulin level, as well as lower insulin resistance and higher β-cell function. Air pollution and body mass index significantly mediated 6.9-51.1% and 8.6-78.7% these associations, respectively, while no mediation role was observed for physical activity.

Conclusions: Higher residential greenness appears to be associated with a lower prevalence of DM. This association might be due to glucose and insulin metabolism and pancreatic β-cell function. Lower levels of air pollution and body mass index can be pathways linking greenspace to diabetes.

Keywords: Cross-sectional; Diabetes mellitus; Glucose; Greenness; Insulin resistance; Mediation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants / analysis
Blood Glucose / analysis
China / epidemiology
Diabetes Mellitus / blood
Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology*
Female
Homeostasis
Humans
Insulin / blood
Male
Middle Aged
Nitrogen Dioxide / analysis
Particulate Matter / analysis
Plants*
Residence Characteristics*
Satellite Imagery

Substances

Air Pollutants
Blood Glucose
Insulin
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Dioxide