Cross-sectional evidence of the cardiometabolic health benefits of urban liveability in Australia

Abstract

Recognition is increasing globally that urban planning interventions to improve neighbourhood liveability enable healthy sustainable lifestyles and assist in the prevention and management of chronic disease. We present the spatial urban liveability index (ULI) as a tool to inform localised interventions that would create healthier, more sustainable cities and examine its associations with cardiometabolic and wellbeing-related health outcomes. The ULI and associated indicators were calculated for Melbourne address points and spatially linked with health outcomes for participants from the 2014 Victorian Population Health Survey. Residing in higher liveability areas was found to be positively associated with a more physically active lifestyle and negatively associated with BMI—more so than for a comparable walkability index. Although walkable neighbourhoods underpin a liveable city, areas with diverse ‘community, culture and leisure’ destinations displayed strongest beneficial associations with cardiometabolic health outcomes, suggesting that access to diverse local destinations may encourage more active sustainable living.