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Structural Characteristics of Tree Cover and the Association with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health in Tampa, FL

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Abstract

Urban tree cover can provide several ecological and public health benefits. Secondary datasets for Tampa, FL, including sociodemographic variables (e.g., race/ethnicity), health data, and interpolated values for features of tree cover (e.g., percent canopy and leaf area index) were analyzed using correlation and regression. Percent canopy cover and leaf area index were inversely correlated to respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes, yet only leaf area index displayed a significant association with respiratory conditions in the logistic regression model. Percent racial/ethnic minority residents at the block group level was significantly negatively correlated with median income and tree density. Leaf area index was also significantly lower in block groups with more African-American residents. The percentage of African Americans (p = 0.101) and Hispanics (p < 0.001) were positively associated with respiratory outcomes while population density (p < 0.001), percent canopy (p < 0.01), and leaf area index (p < 0.01) were negatively associated. In multivariate models, higher tree density, leaf area index, and median income were significantly negatively associated with respiratory cases. Block groups with a higher proportion of African Americans had a higher odds of displaying respiratory admissions above the median rate. Tree density and median income were also negatively associated with cardiovascular cases. Home ownership and tree condition were significantly positively associated with cardiovascular cases.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the City of Tampa who funded the study to collect land cover data as well as the vegetation inventory and analysis. Additional thanks are extended to Wayne Zipperer, Shawn Landry, Francisco Escobedo, Melissa Friedman, Michael Andreu, Michael Bowker, Cassandra Johnson Gaither, Stan Zarnoch, D. Wafula, and Seock-Ho Kim, and Francis Annor for their guidance and feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Athens, GA, USA

    Viniece Jennings, Dudley Hartel & Eric Kuehler

  2. School of the Environment, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, FSH Science Research Bldg, 1515 South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Tallahassee, FL, 32307, USA

    Richard Schulterbrandt Gragg III & Elijah Johnson

  3. Institute of Public Health, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    C. Perry Brown

  4. Department of Geography, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Alex Sinykin

  5. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Michelle Kondo

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  1. Viniece Jennings
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Jennings, V., Gragg, R.S., Brown, C.P. et al. Structural Characteristics of Tree Cover and the Association with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health in Tampa, FL. J Urban Health 96, 669–681 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-019-00380-2

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