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Greenspace Proximity in Relation to Sleep Health Among a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Cohort of US Women
Sleep is essential for overall health. Greenspace may contribute to sleep health through, for instance, improving mood, reducing sleep disruptors (e.g., poor air quality), and promoting physical activity. Although greenspace likely differs across populations, few studies have included diverse populations. To investigate greenspace-sleep health associations, overall and by age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, we used data collected at enrollment (2003-2009) from women in the Sister Study (n=1,612 Hispanic/Latina, n=4,421 non-Hispanic (NH)-Black, and n=41,657 NH-White). Participants’ geocoded home addresses were linked to NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data (250m resolution) to capture greenspace tertiles (further categorized as low/moderate vs. high). Participants reported seven sleep dimensions, which we assessed individually, along with a multidimensional sleep health measure (categories: favorable, moderate, poor). Adjusting for individual- and environmental/neighborhood-level characteristics, we used Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (PR[CI]). We tested for interaction and estimated age-, race and ethnicity-, and educational attainment category-specific associations. Among participants (mean±SD age=55.7±9.0 years), those with low/moderate vs. high greenspace had a lower prevalence of favorable sleep (58% vs. 66%). After adjustment, low/moderate vs. high greenspace was associated with a 32% higher prevalence of moderate (PR=1.32 [1.27-1.38]) and 12% higher prevalence of poor (PR=1.12 [1.07-1.16]) vs. favorable sleep health. Magnitudes of associations were higher among NH-White women vs. minoritized racial-ethnic groups and women with higher vs. lower educational attainment. Higher greenspace was associated with favorable sleep, with stronger associations among groups with more social advantages. Highlights Few prior studies of greenspace and sleep included socially diverse samples. We investigated associations between greenspace proximity and sleep among US women. Effect modification by age, race-ethnicity, and socioeconomic status was assessed. Low/moderate greenspace proximity was associated with poorer sleep health. Associations were strongest among women with more social advantages.
Read moreParks and Social Capital: An Analysis of the 100 Most Populous U.S. Cities
Figure 1. 2024 ParkScore methodology. Each city receives two values in the ParkScore index: a rating on a scale of 100 points (100 is high) and a ranking, with each city ranked on a scale of 1–100 (1 is high), regardless of the magnitude differences among rating scores. In recent years, much attention has focused on strategies to reverse the decline of social capital in the United States. Increased social capital, which includes both intergroup contact and civic engagement, has many important benefits. For low-income individuals, friendships with high-income individuals (“economic connectedness”, a measure of inter-group contact) are one of the strongest predictors of their ability to escape poverty and gain increased life opportunities. Volunteering, a measure of civic engagement, is hypothesized to be key in building trust among neighbors. Urban parks are often thought to be a ‘third place’ that may increase social capital within a community through both increased “mixing and mingling” and increased civic engagement. This study finds that residents of cities with better quality park systems (as measured by the ParkScore® index) are more socially connected and engaged with their neighbors (as measured by the Social Capital Atlas) than are residents of cities with lower-ranking park systems. Relative to the bottom 25 ranked cities, the top 25 ParkScore cities had 26 % more social connections between different income groups, 61 % more volunteers per capita, and 45 % more civic organizations per capita. These patterns held after controlling for other factors such as education, race/ethnicity, poverty, and family structure. These other factors often had stronger associations with the social capital indicators, suggesting park systems are an important, but not primary, driver of a community’s social capital. People living in cities with more parks and recreational opportunities may be more likely to realize these important benefits. Highlights Residents of cities with highly-ranked park systems are more socially connected than those in lower-ranked cities. Park systems are an important, but not primary, driver of a community’s social capital. Social capital has important benefits e.g. economic mobility for low-income individuals and increased trust among neighbors.
Read more“We don’t separate out these things. Everything is related”: Partnerships with Indigenous Communities to Design, Implement, and Evaluate Multilevel Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities
Figure 1. An overview of the partnerships in MLIs by building on the Indigenous Holistic Health and Wellness Multilevel Framework Multilevel interventions (MLIs) are appropriate to reduce health disparities among Indigenous peoples because of their ability to address these communities’ diverse histories, dynamics, cultures, politics, and environments. Intervention science has highlighted the importance of context-sensitive MLIs in Indigenous communities that can prioritize Indigenous and local knowledge systems and emphasize the collective versus the individual. This paradigm shift away from individual-level focus interventions to community-level focus interventions underscores the need for community engagement and diverse partnerships in MLI design, implementation, and evaluation. In this paper, we discuss three case studies addressing how Indigenous partners collaborated with researchers in each stage of the design, implementation, and evaluation of MLIs to reduce health disparities impacting their communities. We highlight the following: Collaborations with multiple, diverse tribal partners to carry out MLIs which require iterative, consistent conversations over time; Inclusion of qualitative and Indigenous research methods in MLIs as a way to honor Indigenous and local knowledge systems as well as a way to understand a health disparity phenomenon in a community; and Relationship building, maintenance, and mutual respect among MLI partners to reconcile past research abuses, prevent extractive research practices, decolonize research processes, and generate co-created knowledge between Indigenous and academic communities.
Read moreAssociations of Residential Green Space with Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior in Early Childhood
Figure 1. Associations between residential green space and CBCL scores. Background Green space exposures may promote child mental health and well-being across multiple domains and stages of development. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between residential green space exposures and child mental and behavioral health at age 4–6 years. Methods Children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) cohort in Shelby County, Tennessee, were parent-reported on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). We examined three exposures—residential surrounding greenness calculated as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree cover, and park proximity—averaged across the residential history for the year prior to outcome assessment. Linear regression models were adjusted for individual, household, and neighborhood-level confounders across multiple domains. Effect modification by neighborhood socioeconomic conditions was explored using multiplicative interaction terms. Results Children were on average 4.2 years (range 3.8-6.0) at outcome assessment. Among CANDLE mothers, 65% self-identified as Black, 29% as White, and 6% as another or multiple races; 41% had at least a college degree. Higher residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower internalizing behavior scores (-0.66 per 0.1 unit higher NDVI; 95% CI: -1.26, -0.07) in fully-adjusted models. The association between tree cover and internalizing behavior was in the hypothesized direction but confidence intervals included the null (-0.29 per 10% higher tree cover; 95% CI: -0.62, 0.04). No associations were observed between park proximity and internalizing behavior. We did not find any associations with externalizing behaviors or the attention problems subscale. Estimates were larger in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic opportunity, but interaction terms were not statistically significant. Conclusions Our findings add to the accumulating evidence of the importance of residential green space for the prevention of internalizing problems among young children. This research suggests the prioritization of urban green spaces as a resource for child mental health.
Read moreIndividual and Neighborhood Level Predictors of Children’s Exposure to Residential Greenspace
Figure 1. Distribution of (A) residential surrounding greenness, (B) tree cover, and (C) park proximity, in the CANDLE cohort for the residential address reported at the time of the age 4–6 year study visit (n = 1012). Residential surrounding greenness is assessed using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within a 300-m radial buffer of the home address. Tree cover is assessed as the percentage of the census block group. Park proximity is assessed as the distance to the nearest boundary of a park; the x-axis is truncated at 5 km for visualization purposes. Inequities in urban greenspace have been identified, though patterns by race and socioeconomic status vary across US settings. We estimated the magnitude of the relationship between a broad mixture of neighborhood-level factors and residential greenspace using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and compared predictive models of greenspace using only neighborhood-level, only individual-level, or multi-level predictors. Greenspace measures included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree canopy, and proximity of the nearest park, for residential locations in Shelby County, Tennessee of children in the CANDLE cohort. Neighborhood measures include socioeconomic and education resources, as well as racial composition and racial residential segregation. In this sample of 1012 mother–child dyads, neighborhood factors were associated with higher NDVI and tree canopy (0.021 unit higher NDVI [95% CI: 0.014, 0.028] per quintile increase in WQS index); homeownership rate, proximity of and enrollment at early childhood education centers, and racial composition, were highly weighted in the WQS index. In models constrained in the opposite direction (0.028 unit lower NDVI [95% CI: − 0.036, − 0.020]), high school graduation rate and teacher experience were highly weighted. In prediction models, adding individual-level predictors to the suite of neighborhood characteristics did not meaningfully improve prediction accuracy for greenspace measures. Our findings highlight disparities in greenspace for families by neighborhood socioeconomic and early education factors, and by race, suggesting several neighborhood indicators for consideration both as potential confounders in studies of greenspace and pediatric health as well as in the development of policies and programs to improve equity in greenspace access.
Read moreMeasuring Urban Nature for Pedestrian Health: Systematic Review and Expert Survey
Walking and access to nature are two of the most effective health promotion and disease prevention strategies. There has been a growing interest in the dynamic pathways among access to nature, walking, and health. Effective measurement of these variables is the prerequisite to advancing our understanding of such pathways. However, contrasting to the rigorous methods available for walking and health measures, methods to quantify nature have been limited. This study uses a systematic literature review to synthesize urban nature measures (UNMs) used in published studies linking urban nature with pedestrian health outcomes (e.g. walking, physical activity, physical health, mental health). A survey of experts (n = 30) was used to identify additional and emerging methods. The literature search identified 115 articles and 48 UNMs most of which (40 or 83%) were objective measures. Results showed no consensus on the optimal UNMs for pedestrian health research, but certain measures such as NDVI, proximity to green spaces, and area/proportion of green spaces, were popularly used in previous studies. Experts suggested emerging methods including LiDAR, GPS, high-resolution imagery, virtual/augmented reality, and context-sensitive ecological momentary assessment. Major gaps in current UNMs included the shortage of eye-level and quality-related measures. While experts acknowledge the promise of emerging technologies, they shared concerns related to privacy, digital divide, confidentiality, and bias. This study offers insights into the UNMs available to quantify nature for pedestrian health research, which can serve to facilitate future research, community actions, and policy changes aimed at promoting walking and nature access for healthier urban communities.
Read moreSusceptibility to Stress and Nature Exposure: Unveiling Differential Susceptibility to Physical Environments; A Randomized Controlled Trial
Figure 1. Theoretical framework. Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates that nature exposure could be associated with cardiovascular health among individuals in low socioeconomic positions to a greater degree than among more privileged groups. Continue reading at PLOS ONE. Background Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates nature exposure could be associated with greater health benefits among groups in lower versus higher socioeconomic positions. One possible mechanism underpinning this evidence is described by our framework: (susceptibility) adults in low socioeconomic positions face higher exposure to persistent psychosocial stressors in early life, inducing a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a lifelong susceptibility to stress; (differential susceptibility) susceptible adults are more sensitive to the health risks of adverse (stress-promoting) environments, but also to the health benefits of protective (stress-buffering) environments. Objective Experimental investigation of a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a mechanism facilitating greater stress recovery from nature exposure. Methods We determined differences in stress recovery (via heart rate variability) caused by exposure to a nature or office virtual reality environment (10 min) after an acute stressor among 64 healthy college-age males with varying levels of susceptibility (socioeconomic status, early life stress, and a pro-inflammatory state [inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance to an in vitro bacterial challenge]). Results Findings for inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance were modest but consistently trended towards better recovery in the nature condition. Differences in recovery were not observed for socioeconomic status or early life stress. Discussion Among healthy college-age males, we observed expected trends according to their differential susceptibility when assessed as inflammatory reactivity and glucocorticoid resistance, suggesting these biological correlates of susceptibility could be more proximal indicators than self-reported assessments of socioeconomic status and early life stress. If future research in more diverse populations aligns with these trends, this could support an alternative conceptualization of susceptibility as increased environmental sensitivity, reflecting heightened responses to adverse, but also protective environments. With this knowledge, future investigators could examine how individual differences in environmental sensitivity could provide an opportunity for those who are the most susceptible to experience the greatest health benefits from nature exposure.
Read moreWhat Types of Nature Exposure Are Associated With Hedonic, Eudaimonic and Evaluative Wellbeing? An 18-Country Study
Figure 2. Summary of fully adjusted models of all dimensions of SWB and residential availability and visits to green space, coastal blue space and freshwater blue space. Although spending time in nature can improve subjective wellbeing (SWB), little is known about how different types of nature exposure are associated with different dimensions of SWB or the consistency of associations across national/cultural contexts. Using data from 18 countries, associations between green, coastal and freshwater blue space exposures (including residential availability, visits ‘yesterday’ and visits in the previous four weeks) and hedonic, eudaimonic, and evaluative wellbeing were estimated. Overall, residential nature availability showed little association with any wellbeing outcome, whereas visiting green and coastal locations ‘yesterday’ was associated with better hedonic wellbeing. Although frequently visiting green, coastal and freshwater spaces were all associated with greater evaluative wellbeing, greater eudaimonic wellbeing was only associated with frequent visits to green and freshwater spaces. Variations existed across countries. Results suggest that different types of nature exposure vary in their association with different dimensions of SWB. Understanding these differences may help us maximise the potential of natural environments as SWB-promoting resources.
Read moreBeyond “Bluespace” and “Greenspace”: A Narrative Review of Possible Health Benefits from Exposure to Other Natural Landscapes
Graphical abstract: Does exposure to natural landscapes not dominated by plants or liquid-water influence human health? Numerous studies have highlighted the physical and mental health benefits of contact with nature, typically in landscapes characterized by plants (i.e., “greenspace”) and water (i.e., “bluespace”). However, natural landscapes are not always green or blue, and the effects of other landscapes are worth attention. This narrative review attempts to overcome this limitation of past research. Rather than focusing on colors, we propose that natural landscapes are composed of at least one of three components: (1) plants (e.g., trees, flowering plants, grasses, sedges, mosses, ferns, and algae), (2) water (e.g., rivers, canals, lakes, and oceans), and/or (3) rocks and minerals, including soil. Landscapes not dominated by plants or liquid-state water include those with abundant solid-state water (e.g., polar spaces) and rocks or minerals (e.g., deserts and caves). Possible health benefits of solid-state water or rock/mineral dominated landscapes include both shorter-term (e.g., viewing images) and longer-term (e.g., living in these landscapes) exposure durations. Reported benefits span improved emotional and mental states and medical treatment resources for respiratory conditions and allergies. Mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exposure consist of commonly discussed theories in the “greenspace” and “bluespace” literature (i.e., instoration and restoration) as well as less discussed pathways in that literature (i.e., post-traumatic growth, self-determination, supportive environment theory, and place attachment). This is the first review to draw attention to the potential salutogenic value of natural landscapes beyond “greenspace” and “bluespace.” It is also among the first to highlight the limitations and confusion that result from classifying natural landscapes using color. Since the extant literature on natural landscapes – beyond those with abundant plants or liquid-state water – is limited in regard to quantity and quality, additional research is needed to understand their restorative potential and therapeutic possibilities.
Read moreBlack Bodies and Green Spaces: Remembering the Eminence of Nature During a Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed not only the true value of nature and open public spaces, but it reified the presence and persistence of racism in and throughout American institutions. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials encouraged people to visit parks and green spaces as a way to be safe against COVID-19 transmission, the toxic presence and persistence of racism experienced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) was fully exposed. Through an examination of built, social and natural environments, this chapter will delve into historical and contemporary inequities stemming from structural racism. The toxic interrelationship between race-/class-based privilege and place, as well as its impact on nature and green space access and connection, particularly throughout the pandemic will be critically assessed.
Read moreNature-Based Solutions and Mental Health
Nature-Based Solutions for Cities This chapter demonstrates the mental health benefits of nature-based solutions in cities. First, factors that determine urban mental health and adverse health effects of environmental stressors in cities are explained. Second, it is demonstrated that green spaces as nature-based solutions for many societal challenges provide co-benefits for mental health by reducing these stressors. It is further discussed how nature-based solutions may target supporting mental health by providing resources for human–nature interaction, enhancing social interaction and strengthening mental resilience. Nature-based interventions that are originally intended to support persons with psychiatric illness are introduced as models for the design of mentally supportive cities. And third, two case studies illustrate the mental health benefits of urban parks with the example of Leipzig, Germany and of street trees by the example of Hyderabad, India. The two case studies were used as application cases for a recent conceptual framework as a guide for putting science into practice.
Read moreThe Health and Wellbeing Effects of Forests, Trees and Green Space
This chapter provides an overview of the empirical evidence regarding the association between green space in general, and forests and trees in particular, and health outcomes. The evidence is organised by life stage, and within the three life stages – early life (Section 3.2.), adulthood (Section 3.3.) and the elderly (Section 3.4.) – by type of health outcome. At the end of each of these three sections, the strength of the evidence for the presence (or absence) of a beneficial or detrimental association for a particular health outcome, as assessed by the authors, is summarised. Section 3.6. is devoted to modifiers of the aforementioned associations, such as gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. In the next section (3.7.), the evidence is placed in the context of global health challenges through elaborating on the potential of green space, and forests and trees in particular, in tackling major contributors to the global burden of disease. The final section concludes that the available evidence already strongly supports a wide range of beneficial associations including neurodevelopment in children, mental health and wellbeing, spiritual wellbeing and cardiometabolic health in adults, and mental health and wellbeing, cognitive ageing and longevity in the elderly. However, this evidence is predominantly based on studies on the health and wellbeing effects of green space, and the available evidence for such effects for forests and trees is still limited for most health outcomes. Moreover, these studies have been mainly conducted in high-income countries, with their generalisability to low- and middle-income countries not being self-evident. Furthermore, the causality of the observed associations is not always clear. Nevertheless, given that many of the involved health outcomes are among the major contributors of the global burden of disease, forests, trees and green spaces have a great potential for improving health and wellbeing of humans across all life stages in our rapidly urbanising world
Read moreUnsheltered Homelessness in Public Natural Areas Across an Urban-to-Wildland System: Institutional Perspectives
Figure 1. Conceptual relationships and interactions among social and ecological subsystems related to unsheltered homelessness in public natural areas. This article conceptualizes homelessness on public lands within a social-ecological systems framework, exploring dynamics in public natural areas in the Seattle metropolitan area (USA), a system with a compact urban-to-wildland gradient. While prior research has studied the dynamics of unsheltered homelessness within particular parks or cities—often in areas where camping is prohibited—our interview-based study makes integrated considerations of these dynamics across a range of jurisdictions. We present a thematic analysis that examines professionally diverse perspectives on the dynamics, stressors, and outcomes of public natural area usage by unsheltered individuals. We found a generally uncoordinated system in continual motion, in which considerable resources were expended for short-term, site-specific solutions that yielded system-wide detrimental outcomes perceived for unsheltered individuals, social service and environmental institutions, and ecosystem health. We discuss how improved institutional coordination and mutual understanding about intersecting governance systems could sustain better public land, public health, and social outcomes.
Read moreUrban Green Space and Mental Health Among People Living Alone: The Mediating Roles of Relational and Collective Restoration in an 18-Country Sample
Figure 1. Theoretical model linking exposure to green space to mental health via social restoration processes. Rates of living alone, especially in more urbanised areas, are increasing across many industrialised countries, with associated increases in feelings of loneliness and poorer mental health. Recent studies have suggested that access to nature (e.g. parks and green spaces) can reduce the stressors associated with loneliness, partly through providing opportunities to nurture personal relationships (relational restoration) and engage in normative community activities (collective restoration). Such associations might vary across different household compositions and socio-demographic or geographical characteristics, but these have not been thoroughly tested. Using data collected across 18 countries/territories in 2017–2018, we grouped urban respondents into those living alone (n = 2062) and those living with a partner (n = 6218). Using multigroup path modelling, we tested whether the associations between neighbourhood greenspace coverage (1-km-buffer from home) and mental health are sequentially mediated by: (a) visits to greenspace; and subsequently (b) relationship and/or community satisfaction, as operationalisations of relational and collective restoration, respectively. We also tested whether any indirect associations varied among subgroups of respondents living alone. Analyses showed that visiting green space was associated with greater mental well-being and marginally lower odds of using anxiety/depression medication use indirectly, mediated via both relationship and community satisfaction. These indirect associations were equally strong among respondents living alone and those living with a partner. Neighbourhood green space was, additionally, associated with more visits among respondents living with a partner, whereas among those living alone, this was sensitive to the green space metric. Within subgroups of people living alone, few overall differences were found. Some indirect pathways were, nevertheless, stronger in males, under 60-year-olds, those with no financial strain, and residents in warmer climates. In conclusion, supporting those living alone, as well as those living with a partner, to more frequently access their local greenspaces could help improve mental health via promoting relational and collective restoration.
Read moreInequitable Changes to Time Spent in Urban Nature During COVID-19: A Case Study of Seattle, WA with Asian, Black, Latino, and White Residents
Figure 1. Change to average frequency of urban nature interaction among each racial/ethnic group The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in urban areas. Some of these impacts in the United States have negatively affected People of Color more than their White counterparts. Using Seattle, Washington as a case study, we investigated whether inequitable effects appear in residents’ interactions with urban nature (such as urban green space). Using a 48-question instrument, 300 residents were surveyed, equally divided across four racial/ethnic groups: Asian, Black and African American, Latino/a/x, and White. Results showed that during the span of about 6 months after the onset of the pandemic, Black and Latino residents experienced a significant loss of time in urban nature, while Asian and White residents did not. The implications of these findings, including inequities in the potential buffering effects of urban nature against COVID-19 and the future of urban nature conservation, are discussed. Multiple variables were tested for association with the changes to time spent in urban nature, including themes of exclusion from urban nature spaces found throughout the existing literature. Findings show that decreases in time spent in urban nature among Black and Latino residents may be associated with their feeling as though they did not belong in urban nature. We provide recommendations based on these findings for how government agencies can promote more equitable access to urban nature during the pandemic and beyond. The results of this study have implications that extend beyond the US and are relevant to the international scholarly literature of inequities and urban nature interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read moreAn Ecosystem Service Perspective on Urban Nature, Physical Activity, and Health
Figure 1. Conceptual model of the relationships among urban nature (as part of the urban system), PA (quantity and quality), and health, alignedwith an ecosystem service approach. Numbers correspond with The Current State of Knowledge points 1 and 2. Nature underpins human well-being in critical ways, especially in health. Nature provides pollination of nutritious crops, purification of drinking water, protection from floods, and climate security, among other well-studied health benefits. A crucial, yet challenging, research frontier is clarifying how nature promotes physical activity for its many mental and physical health benefits, particularly in densely populated cities with scarce and dwindling access to nature. Here we frame this frontier by conceptually developing a spatial decision-support tool that shows where, how, and for whom urban nature promotes physical activity, to inform urban greening efforts and broader health assessments. We synthesize what is known, present a model framework, and detail the model steps and data needs that can yield generalizable spatial models and an effective tool for assessing the urban nature–physical activity relationship. Current knowledge supports an initial model that can distinguish broad trends and enrich urban planning, spatial policy, and public health decisions. New, iterative research and application will reveal the importance of different types of urban nature, the different subpopulations who will benefit from it, and nature’s potential contribution to creating more equitable, green, livable cities with active inhabitants.
Read moreAssociations Between Green/Blue Spaces and Mental Health Across 18 Countries
Figure 1. Relationships between: (1) Green space visits in last 4 weeks, (2) Inland-blue space visits in last 4 weeks, (3) Coastal-blue space visits in last 4 weeks, and (4) nature connectedness (1–7); and positive well-being (0–100; a,e,l,m), risk of mental distress (0–1; b,f,j,n), use of depression medication (0–1; c,g,k,o), and use of anxiety medication (0–1; d,h,l,p), averaged across 18 countries (n = 16,302). Living near, recreating in, and feeling psychologically connected to, the natural world are all associated with better mental health, but many exposure-related questions remain. Using data from an 18-country survey (n = 16,307) we explored associations between multiple measures of mental health (positive well-being, mental distress, depression/anxiety medication use) and: (a) exposures (residential/recreational visits) to different natural settings (green/inland-blue/coastal-blue spaces); and (b) nature connectedness, across season and country. People who lived in greener/coastal neighbourhoods reported higher positive well-being, but this association largely disappeared when recreational visits were controlled for. Frequency of recreational visits to green, inland-blue, and coastal-blue spaces in the last 4 weeks were all positively associated with positive well-being and negatively associated with mental distress. Associations with green space visits were relatively consistent across seasons and countries but associations with blue space visits showed greater heterogeneity. Nature connectedness was also positively associated with positive well-being and negatively associated with mental distress and was, along with green space visits, associated with a lower likelihood of using medication for depression. By contrast inland-blue space visits were associated with a greater likelihood of using anxiety medication. Results highlight the benefits of multi-exposure, multi-response, multi-country studies in exploring complexity in nature-health associations.
Read moreEffects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Park Visitation Measured by Social Media
Figure 1. Time series of weekly PUD from 2019–2020, in four US cities. Major COVID-related policies are denoted as vertical lines. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s physical, social, and psychological health. Parks and green-spaces may have ameliorated the negative effects of the pandemic by creating opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature exposure, while other public activities and gatherings were restricted due to risk of disease transmissions. Using park visitation estimates derived from 140K Instagram images shared in four US metropolitan areas, this study investigates trends in park use over the span of the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that while COVID-related stay-at-home orders are associated with shifts in park visitation, the cities that we analysed do not follow uniform trends. Our analyses suggest that future research may be able to explain variability in park visitation based on local factors such as park location and the socio-demographics of visitors. However, the research community does not currently have access to the volume and resolution of data that is necessary to study the issue. There is an urgent need for the CSCW community and social computing researchers to address this data gap if we are to understand the impacts of the pandemic, plan for urban resiliency, and ensure equitable access to parks and other shared resources.
Read moreProtecting Health in Dry Cities: Considerations for Policy Makers
Water has always been essential for cities to survive and thrive. The earliest cities, from 4000 BC, were founded near water sources. Conversely, water scarcity might have contributed to the demise of ancient cities such as Tikal in present day Guatemala and Angkor in present day Cambodia. Water deprivation was also used as a weapon in ancient times; when Sennacherib of Assyria ransacked Babylon in 689 BC, he destroyed the city’s water supply. Dry cities present complex challenges in a dynamic world. The supply of water in many cities will increasingly fall short of demand, with diverse and potentially severe effects on health. In a world of pervasive inequalities, water scarcity is likely to hit the most vulnerable hardest. The challenge of achieving health in dry cities is intensified in the setting of resource scarcity, state and societal fragility, and weak institutions. The inter-relation between human health and the environment needs to be central to planning and management of both water and health systems. Promoting health and wellbeing in dry cities is essential to achieving the sustainable development goals. Innovation will be key to progress; it requires foresight, strong institutions, and action from many people. Today’s global population is increasingly urban, and the world is increasingly hot, with dry regions becoming drier. Dry cities have scarce water relative to demand. An estimated 150 million people live in cities that have perennial water shortage. Some cities are dry because of their location in arid environments, with low levels of fresh water, precipitation, or both. In the year 2000 about 27% of the world’s urban area was in drylands. Many of the world’s most water stressed countries are in the Middle East and North Africa. Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai in the Gulf region, and desert cities, including Cairo (Egypt) and Windhoek (Namibia), Antofagasta (Chile), Trujillo (Peru), Phoenix, and Las Vegas (United States) are widely recognized as “dry cities.” Other cities are dry because of a temporary scarcity of water, or drought, influenced by factors including local hydrology, climate, and human activities. Semi-arid regions may have dry cities if drought strikes, if demand grows much faster than supply and/or if the city cannot keep pace owing to poor governance or inadequate infrastructure. Such cities include Cape Town (South Africa) and Gaborone (Botswana). Other cities, such as São Paulo (Brazil) and Chennai (India), historically have had ample water supply, but have recently confronted scarcity. Still others, such as Los Angeles (US) and Bangalore (India), are forecast to become short of water in coming years.
Read moreThe Affective Benefits of Nature Exposure: What’s Nature Got to Do with It?
Figure 1. Hypotheses & analyses overview for study 2. Nature interactions have been demonstrated to produce reliable affective benefits. While adults demonstrate strong preferences for natural environments over urban ones, it is not clear whether these affective benefits result from exposure to nature stimuli per se, or result from viewing a highly preferred stimulus. In one set of studies (Study 1 and 2), state affect before and after image viewing was examined as a function of both preference level (high, low, very high, or very low aesthetic value) and environment type (nature or urban). When aesthetic value was matched, no differences in affect change were found between environments. However, affect change was predicted by individual participants’ ratings for the images. The largest affective benefits occurred after viewing very high aesthetic nature images, but Study 2 lacked an equivalently preferred urban image set. In a second set of studies (Study 3 and 4), new sets of very highly preferred images in categories other than nature scenes (urban scenes and animals) were employed. As before, individual differences in preference for the images (but not image category) was predictive of changes in affect. In Study 5, the nature and urban images from Study 1 were rated on beauty to assess whether the stimuli’s preference ratings were capturing anything other than simple aesthetics. Results showed that beauty/aesthetics and preference (‘liking’) were nearly identical. Lastly, a replication of Study 2 (Study 6) was conducted to test whether priming preference accounted for these benefits, but this was not the case. Together, these results suggest that nature improves affective state because it is such a highly preferred environment.
Read moreSocial-Ecological and Technological Factors Moderate the Value of Urban Nature
Figure 1. Actions lead to changes in the value of urban ecosystem services, defined by a change in human well-being, which may be different for different groups of people, hence the importance of considering equity. The relationships between actions and value are moderated by social, ecological or technological factors. For each action that leads to a change in value, there may also be co-benefits (for example, positive impacts on other sustainability goals) and disservices (for example, unintended negative consequences). Finally, decision-makers require the ability to compare the net value of urban ecosystem services relative to substitutes or alternative interventions designed to meet the same goals. Urban nature has the potential to improve air and water quality, mitigate flooding, enhance physical and mental health, and promote social and cultural well-being. However, the value of urban ecosystem services remains highly uncertain, especially across the diverse social, ecological and technological contexts represented in cities around the world. We review and synthesize research on the contextual factors that moderate the value and equitable distribution of ten of the most commonly cited urban ecosystem services. Our work helps to identify strategies to more efficiently, effectively and equitably implement nature-based solutions.
Read moreGeolocated Social Media as a Rapid Indicator of Park Visitation and Equitable Park Access
Figure 1. Alignment of Census block group, park and park buffer boundaries. The block group boundary in which Central Park is contained includes residential areas bordering the park. When population density within the 400m buffer is averaged over Census block groups, density of the residential areas bordering the park are underestimated due to the inclusion of the park’s area. Understanding why some parks are used more regularly or intensely than others can inform ways in which urban parkland is developed and managed to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding urban population. Although geolocated social media (GSM) indicators have been used to examine park visitation rates, studies applying this approach are generally limited to flagship parks, national parks, or a small subset of urban parks. Here, we use geolocated Flickr and Twitter data to explore variation in use across New York City’s 2143 diverse parks and model visitation based on spatially-explicit park characteristics and facilities, neighborhood-level accessibility features and neighborhood-level demographics. Findings indicate that social media activity in parks is positively correlated with proximity to public transportation and bike routes, as well as particular park characteristics such as water bodies, athletic facilities, and impervious surfaces, but negatively associated with green space and increased proportion of minority ethnicity and minority race in neighborhoods in which parks are located. Contrary to previous studies which describe park visitation as a form of nature-based recreation, our findings indicate that the kinds of green spaces present in many parks may not motivate visitation. From a social equity perspective, our findings may imply that parks in high-minority neighborhoods are not as accessible, do not accommodate as many visitors, and/or are of lower quality than those in low-minority neighborhoods. These implications are consistent with previous studies showing that minority populations disproportionately experience barriers to park access. In applying GSM data to questions of park access, we demonstrate a rapid, big data approach for providing information crucial for park management in a way that is less resource-intensive than field surveys.
Read moreUsing Social Media to Understand Drivers of Urban Park Visitation in the Twin Cities, MN
Figure 1. Distribution of urban park and green space polygons in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, MN, USA. Green space and parks in urban environments provide a range of ecosystem services and public benefits. However, planners and park managers can lack tools and resources to gather local information on how parks are used and what makes them desirable places for recreation and a wide variety of uses. Traditional survey methods to monitor park use and user preferences can be costly, time consuming, and challenging to apply at scale. Here, we overcome this limitation by using geotagged social media data to assess patterns of visitation to urban and peri-urban green space across park systems in the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA. We find that parks with nearby water features, more amenities, greater accessibility from the presence of trails, and that are located within neighborhoods with higher population density, are associated with higher rates of visitation. As cities grow and shifts in demographics occur, more responsive management of public green space will become increasingly important to ensure urban parks provide ecosystem services and meet users’ needs. Using social media data to rapidly assess park use at a lower cost than traditional surveys has the potential to inform public green space management with targeted information on user behavior and values of urban residents.
Read moreNatural Outdoor Environments and Mental Health: Stress as a Possible Mechanism
Fig. 1. Adjusted models for exposure to NOE (both residential availability and contact with NOE) and average evening week values of mental health. Note: Linear regression models (coefficient and 95% CI reported) for all the outcomes with the exception of sleep quality that was modelled as a Poisson model (IRR and 95% CI reported). Models include neighbourhood socioeconomic status, city, gender, age and education level as covariates. Estimates in italics indicate that contact with NOE is statistically significantly associated to the outcome in the expected direction. * Statistically significant associations (p-value≤ 0.05). NOE for Natural Outdoor Environments. Introduction: Better mental health has been associated with exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE). However, comprehensive studies including several indicators of exposure and outcomes, potential effect modifiers and mediators are scarce. Objectives: We used novel, objective measures to explore the relationships between exposure to NOE (i.e. residential availability and contact) and different indicators of mental health, and possible modifiers and mediators. Methods: A nested cross-sectional study was conducted in: Barcelona, Spain; Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom; Doetinchem, Netherlands; Kaunas, Lithuania. Participants’ exposure to NOE (including both surrounding greenness and green and/or blue spaces) was measured in terms of (a) amount in their residential environment (using Geographical Information Systems) and (b) their contact with NOE (using smartphone data collected over seven days). Self-reported information was collected for mental health (psychological well-being, sleep quality, vitality, and somatisation), and potential effect modifiers (gender, age, education level, and city) and mediators (perceived stress and social contacts), with additional objective NOE physical activity (potential mediator) derived from smartphone accelerometers. Results: Analysis of data from 406 participants showed no statistically significant associations linking mental health and residential NOE exposure. However, NOE contact, especially surrounding greenness, was statistically significantly tied to better mental health. There were indications that these relationships were stronger for males, younger people, low-medium educated, and Doetinchem residents. Perceived stress was a mediator of most associations, and physical activity and social contacts were not. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that contact with NOE benefits mental health. Our results also suggest that having contact with NOE that can facilitate stress reduction could be particularly beneficial.
Read moreNature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda
Figure 1. A spectrum of forms of nature contact. Background At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. Objectives We propose a research agenda on nature contact and health, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions. Discussion We identify research questions in seven domains: a) mechanistic biomedical studies; b) exposure science; c) epidemiology of health benefits; d) diversity and equity considerations; e) technological nature; f) economic and policy studies; and g) implementation science. Conclusions Nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits. Although much evidence is already available, much remains unknown. A robust research effort, guided by a focus on key unanswered questions, has the potential to yield high-impact, consequential public health insights.
Read moreNature and Health
Figure 1: Some pathways through which the natural environment can affect the health of broad segments of populations. Urbanization, resource exploitation, and lifestyle changes have diminished possibilities for human contact with nature in many societies. Concern about the loss has helped motivate research on the health benefits of contact with nature. Reviewing that research here, we focus on nature as represented by aspects of the physical environment relevant to planning, design, and policy measures that serve broad segments of urbanized societies. We discuss difficulties in defining “nature” and reasons for the current expansion of the research field, and we assess available reviews. We then consider research on pathways between nature and health involving air quality, physical activity, social cohesion, and stress reduction. Finally, we discuss methodological issues and priorities for future research. The extant research does describe an array of benefits of contact with nature, and evidence regarding some benefits is strong; however, some findings indicate caution is needed in applying beliefs about those benefits, and substantial gaps in knowledge remain.
Read morePositive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE): A Study Programme Protocol
Figure 1. Interdependencies of different parts of the PHENOTYPE project. Introduction Growing evidence suggests that close contact with nature brings benefits to human health and well-being, but the proposed mechanisms are still not well understood and the associations with health remain uncertain. The Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor environment in Typical Populations in different regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE) project investigates the interconnections between natural outdoor environments and better human health and well-being. Aims and Methods The PHENOTYPE project explores the proposed underlying mechanisms at work (stress reduction/restorative function, physical activity, social interaction, exposure to environmental hazards) and examines the associations with health outcomes for different population groups. It implements conventional and new innovative high-tech methods to characterise the natural environment in terms of quality and quantity. Preventive as well as therapeutic effects of contact with the natural environment are being covered. PHENOTYPE further addresses implications for land-use planning and green space management. The main innovative part of the study is the evaluation of possible short-term and long-term associations of green space and health and the possible underlying mechanisms in four different countries (each with quite a different type of green space and a different use), using the same methodology, in one research programme. This type of holistic approach has not been undertaken before. Furthermore there are technological innovations such as the use of remote sensing and smartphones in the assessment of green space. Conclusions The project will produce a more robust evidence base on links between exposure to natural outdoor environment and human health and well-being, in addition to a better integration of human health needs into land-use planning and green space management in rural as well as urban areas.
Read moreA Study of Community Design, Greenness, and Physical Activity in Children using Satellite, GPS and Accelerometer Data
Fig. 1. Geovisualization of a child’s personal monitoring points show MVPA occurring within green areas and during active transport (* home points shifted for confidentiality). This study examined relationships between greenness exposure and free-living physical activity behavior of children in smart growth and conventionally designed communities. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to quantify children’s (n=208) greenness exposure at 30-s epoch accelerometer and GPS data points. A generalized linear mixed model with a kernel density smoothing term for addressing spatial autocorrelation was fit to analyze residential neighborhood activity data. Excluding activity at home and during school-hours, an epoch-level analysis found momentary greenness exposure was positively associated with the likelihood of contemporaneous moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This association was stronger for smart growth residents who experienced a 39% increase in odds of MVPA for a 10th to 90th percentile increase in exposure to greenness (OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.36–1.44). An individual-level analysis found children who experienced >20 min of daily exposure to greener spaces (>90th percentile) engaged in nearly 5 times the daily rate of MVPA of children with nearly zero daily exposure to greener spaces (95% CI 3.09–7.20).
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