UrbaMet

Duration

01/05/2019 - 30/04/2021

Coordinator

Martine Vrijheid

Funded by

Instituto de Salud Carlos III

The understanding of how the urban environments affect health has been recognized as an urgent research priority. Urban environments are complex systems and there is a need to better understand how different domains of the urban environment interact with different individual behaviours and with a wide range of cardio-metabolic health outcomes during childhood.

Aim

UrbaMet aims to examine whether exposures in the urban environment influence cardio-metabolic health trajectories in children up to age 15 years in the longitudinal birth cohort study INMA, using state-of-the-art geographic information systems (GIS), biomarker, sensor, and imaging approaches to accurately assess exposures, outcomes, and mediators.

UrbaMet will start a new follow-up examination of the INMA children at 14-15 years of age (500 participants). As part of UrbaMet we will measure cardio-metabolic outcomes (pulse wave velocity, carotid intima media thickness, blood pressure, body mass index, body fat mass and distribution, lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and insulin resistance) in the children.

Urban environment measures (for the built environment, walkability, green spaces, food environment, and social environment) will be linked to geocodes using GIS. Data on mediating behaviours such as physical activity, sleep, diet, and commuting mode will be collected from the adolescents using novel sensors and computerised questionnaire tools. Stress levels will be measured through cortisol in hair.

UrbaMet is novel in that it will be the first longitudinal study to combine measurements of multiple urban environment domains during sensitive developmental time periods (early-life) with a comprehensive and longitudinal assessment of cardio-metabolic health and behavioural risk factors up until adolescence.

Total Funding

75,020 €