Association between Environmental Neighbourhood Attributes and Self-Reported Health Outcomes among Urban Residents in Eastern Europe: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Environmental perception is a complex issue that has significant impacts on public health. Despite limited research on subjective perceptions of the environment in various global contexts, including Ukraine, this study aimed to identify perceived environmental factors among urban residents and to assess associations with various health indicators. This is a cross-sectional study using data from the national survey carried out in 2017 in Ukraine. Data on demographic, behavioural, socioeconomic, and lifestyle risk factors were processed. A factor analysis was used to identify three environmental factors: outdoor infrastructure, environment, and safety and roads. The associations between these factors and health indicators were assessed using complex samples logistic regression models. The study showed that perceived environmental factors were significantly associated with body mass index, physical activity, stroke, stress, and harmful habits. Outdoor infrastructure emerged as the most important factor associated with health-related outcomes. Environmental neighbourhood attributes can significantly impact an individual’s health, highlighting the need for policies and interventions that promote healthy neighbourhood environments, including improvements in outdoor infrastructure, community resources, and safety measures. Our findings suggest that urban environmental improvements should be a priority in primary disease prevention, would positively impact public health, and would be beneficial to the community.

Keywords

• neighbourhood environment
• public health
• risk factors
• perception
• outdoor infrastructure