[RP TownTalk] yet another reason to have pedestrian-friendly communities (may reduce male depression!)

[Dwight Holmes]

[image: MSN Tracking Image]
  *MSNBC.com*
------------------------------
Neighborhoods may impact male depression
Men who live in walkable areas have fewer symptoms, study says
Reuters
Updated: 4:09 p.m. ET May 3, 2007

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/

NEW YORK - Living in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood may help shield
older men from depression, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 740 older adults living in the Seattle area,
men who lived in more walkable neighborhoods tended to show fewer depression
symptoms than men from less walker-friendly areas.

The findings, published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, are
in line with research suggesting that moderate exercise can help battle
depression. However, the link between neighborhood "walkability" and lower
depression risk was not fully explained by higher exercise levels.

"That tells us that there's something else about the neighborhood itself,"
said lead study author Dr. Ethan M. Berke, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

One possibility is that these neighborhoods allow older adults to feel more
connected to their communities and less socially isolated, Berke told
Reuters Health.

Walkable neighborhoods have sidewalks, streets with safe intersections, and
stores, restaurants and other destinations within a short distance. In their
study, Berke and his colleagues found that men who lived in such areas had
lower scores on a standard measure of depression — even with other factors,
like overall health, income and exercise habits, taken into account.

The same was not true of women, but the reason for this is not clear.

Men are less likely than women to seek care for depression symptoms, which
may leave them more vulnerable to environmental factors that worsen
depression. Women may also have other forms of social support that buffer
them from the effects of living in a less-walkable neighborhood.

The study findings do not prove that a person's neighborhood changes his
depression risk, Berke pointed out. But if pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods
do offer depression protection, that would be important for older adults who
are deciding where to live after they retire, he said. It could also mean
that more senior centers and assisted living facilities should be built in
walkable neighborhoods.

Suburban sprawl is often seen as an environmental issue, Berke noted, but
recent studies are pointing to possible effects on people's health as well.
Some research has linked suburban living, with its reliance on cars and,
often, lack of sidewalks, to a higher risk of obesity.

"Hopefully," Berke said, "we'll start looking at neighborhood design as a
public health issue."
Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/
------------------------------
MSN Privacy <http://beta.mobile.msn.com/device/en-us/privacy.aspx> .
Legal<http://beta.mobile.msn.com/device/en-us/terms.aspx>
(c) 2007 MSNBC.com


-- 
~~
Map of Riverdale Park MD Trolley Hiker-Biker Trail and Cafritz Property
http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql
~~
Tracking the Washington Nationals' 2007 season (will they catch the '62
Mets?):
http://tinyurl.com/2m6f43
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/attachments/20070525/cf0aa679/attachment-0003.html>