Built environment and health

Features of the built environment, such as neighbourhood design, access to food retailers, transportation networks, and green spaces, can influence lifestyle habits and overall health. This project aimed to better understand how these factors are associated with health-related behaviours—including diet, physical activity, smoking, and sleep—and with the risk of chronic diseases. Using CARTaGENE data, the analyses examined access to food retailers, dietary habits, body weight, and selected health indicators, while also evaluating concepts such as food deserts and food swamps. The research showed that exposure to less favourable food environments is more common among people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged conditions and that dietary habits are shaped by both environmental and individual factors, such as income and education. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how living environments influence health and may help inform the development of healthier communities and supportive public policies.

• Public health and epidemiology

• Biochemical and hematological data
• Linked data
• Physical and cognitive measures
• Questionnaire data