The Association between Urban Form and Ischemic Heart Disease: Evidence from Brisbane, Australia

Abstract

We measured the association between urban form and hospitalisation rates for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), stratified by age and sex, and controlling for ethnicity, socio economic status, proximity to hospital and neighbourhood walk ability. This was a retrospective cohort study of the proportion of people within the Brisbane area of Australia who were hospitalised between 2006 to 2011 with a primary diagnosis of IHD. There were strong spatial patterns in the incidence of IHD. The importance of predictor variables differed by sex and age. Urban form was generally not a strong predictor. This study suggests no strong relationship was identified between urban form factors and ischemic heart disease using this research approach.