Representatives of the Ontario College of Family Physicians say the suburbs aren't necessarily a sanctuary from the life's stresses.

"Urban sprawl can pose significant health risks to a person's physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being," said Dr. Riina Bray, who is also the chairperson of the Environmental Health Committee at the OCFP.

That's the message of the OCFP's public education campaign launched on Thursday that provides tips on how to avoid serious health problems they say can occur when living in the suburbs.

The campaign, a follow-up to a report issued by the OCFP in January, lists several points on how people making a move can avoid some of the pitfalls caused by urban sprawl.

The reports demonstrated that the suburbs have higher incidence of cardiovascular and lung diseases including asthma in children, as well as cancer, diabetes, obesity, traffic injuries and deaths.

It concluded that air pollution, gridlock, traffic accidents, lack of physical activity and negative social impacts such as road rage lead to a variety of these health problems.

OCFP CEO Jan Kasperski told CTV.ca that those living in areas with low-density planning are usually at higher risk. Low density means a community with homes built on quarter-acre lots with weavy roads.

"I think one of the messages that we've delivered very clearly is that in communities like Oakville and Mississauga and so on that are growing, it's time for developers to start developing communities within those developments rather than just a bunch of houses."

She added that most of the research for the review was done in the United States because there has been very little done in Canada.

"We need to do that research here. Our strong message is that what's happening in the United States is certainly duplicated by what we see here in Canada."

The OCFP report recommends:

• Moving to a town or city that has a reliable public transportation system;

• Choosing a place to live that has bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths;

• Choosing a town with parks and wildlife areas to clean and cool the air;

• If possible, choosing a community where you can walk to work, stores and schools;

• Getting to know your neighbours and volunteer in the community.

A part of the OCFP's education campaign is to distribute four brochures to public health departments and to family physicians, especially those in southern Ontario, to share with patients.

They contain information explaining why urban sprawl is such a threat to the public's health and also outline the steps you can take to prevent serious health threats.