Microbiota composition is moderately associated with greenspace composition in a UK cohort of twins

Bowyer, Ruth C. E., Twohig-Bennett, Caoimhe, Coombes, Emma, Wells, Philippa M., Spector, Tim D., Jones, Andy P. and Steves, Claire J. (2022) Microbiota composition is moderately associated with greenspace composition in a UK cohort of twins. Science of the Total Environment, 813. ISSN 0048-9697

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Abstract

Exposure to natural environments, known as greenspace, appears to positively influence health, yet the mechanisms are unclear. Given that gut microbiota are associated with inflammatory disorders more prevalent in urban areas and individuals with lower greenspace exposure, microbiota may act as a mediator between greenspace and health. Using 2443 participants of the TwinsUK cohort, microbiota differences were compared in relation to rural/urban living and with quantiles of area-level greenspace at three different neighbourhood distances: 800 m, 3000 m and 5000 m. Using microbiota data captured from faecal samples using 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing, small compositional differences in association with 3000 m greenspace (p = 0.003) in models adjusted for confounders of microbiota variance (sequencing depth, antibiotics use, body mass index, frailty, age, diet, region and socioeconomic variables) were observed. Differences in abundances of genus were observed for all measures of greenspace in adjusted models; a key pathogenic genus was increased in abundance in association with urbanicity (Escherichia/Shigella, logFC = 0.73742, padj <0.001). Further, utilising the twin structure, within-pair differences in microbiota composition were compared and associations with 800 m greenspace observed (factor level significance in association with greatest difference, β = 0.08, p = 0.0162) as were differences in Escherichia/Shigella. The microbiota signature of those with a greater exposure to greenspace, but not necessarily explicitly rural individuals, was distinct from other individuals, suggesting microbiota as a potential mediator for greenspace and health.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: greenspace,microbiota,rural-urban classification,twin differences,environmental engineering,environmental chemistry,waste management and disposal,pollution ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2305
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Business and Local Government Data Research Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 14 Dec 2021 13:31
Last Modified: 21 Apr 2023 01:18
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/82675
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152321

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