Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40251637›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2025

The role of environmental access to exercise opportunities in cardiovascular mortality: evidence from a nationwide study.

Xiaowen Wang, Yongshi Gu, Ying Wang, Yuqing Qiu, Tianling Chen, Philip K Hopke, Kai Zhang, Shao Lin, Yanji Qu, Ziqiang Lin and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Xiaowen Wang *Center for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness & Response, School of Public Health, Peking University, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Yongshi Gu *Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Ying Wang *Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Yuqing QiuDepartment of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Tianling ChenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Philip K HopkeInstitute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
Kai ZhangDepartment of Population and Community Health, College of Public Health, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Shao LinDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA.
Yanji QuGuangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
Ziqiang LinDepartment of Preventive Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Public Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Xinlei DengAnalytics Department, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd., London, UK.
Jie SunDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Shuming ZhuDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xueqing DengDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Sizhe LiDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xian LinDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Zhicheng DuDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. duzhch5@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Yuantao HaoCenter for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness & Response, School of Public Health, Peking University, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. haoyt@bjmu.edu.cn.
Wangjian ZhangDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health/Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute/Research Center for Health Information, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. zhangwj227@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2023M730113
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnvironmental access to exercise opportunities plays a crucial role in determining the level of physical activity within a population. However, it is unclear how environmental factors contribute to disparities in physical activity and health outcomes. We explored the associations between county-level access to exercise opportunities and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality across US counties.

methodsWe conducted an ecological analysis using aggregated data from two primary sources: the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps data and CDC WONDER mortality data. We compared county-level age-adjusted CVD mortality across county-level quartiles of access to exercise opportunities and physical inactivity. Stratification was performed based on age, sex, race, and urbanization variables. The rate ratio (RR) for CVD mortality was also calculated using generalized linear models.

resultsWe observed significant variations in CVD mortality across different levels of exercise opportunities access and physical inactivity, which was consistent across all demographic subgroups (P < 0.001). Access to exercise opportunities was significantly associated with a reduced risk of CVD mortality (RR = 0.93 [0.91-0.95]), and the association was most pronounced for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality (RR, 0.80 [0.76-0.85]). The county-level physical inactivity was significantly associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality (RR, 1.16 [1.14-1.17]), especially for ischemic heart disease (IHD) (RR, 1.35 [1.31-1.38]) and AMI (RR, 1.32 [1.25-1.38]). All demographic subgroups demonstrated similar benefits in reducing the risk of CVD by improving the county-level indicators of physical activity.

conclusionsCounties have the potential to make significant environmental strides in improving the cardiovascular health of their populations by enhancing access to exercise opportunities in the context of urbanization.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesExerciseAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedUnited StatesAccess to exercise opportunitiesCardiovascular diseaseNationwide studyPhysical inactivity

Identifiers

PMID40251637
PMCPMC12008913

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.