2014 / Green spaces, Health and well-being

Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE): A Study Programme Protocol

Citation

Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Kruize, H., Gidlow, C., Andrusaityte, S., Antó, J. M., Basagaña, X., Cirach, M., Dadvand, P., Danileviciute, A., Donaire-Gonzalez, D., Garcia, J., Jerrett, M., Jones, M., Julvez, J., van Kempen, E., van Kamp, I., Maas, J., Seto, E., Smith, G., … Grazuleviciene, R. (2014). Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE): A Study Programme Protocol. BMJ Open, 4(4), e004951. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-004951

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Spending time in nature is increasingly believed to be good for people’s health and well-being, but scientists still do not fully understand why or how strong these benefits are. The PHENOTYPE project is a large European research effort that looks at how outdoor spaces, such as parks and green areas, may be linked to better health and well-being.

The project studies several possible reasons why nature might be helpful, including reducing stress, encouraging physical activity, supporting social interaction, and limiting exposure to environmental hazards. It also looks at how these effects may differ for various groups of people and whether contact with nature can help prevent health problems or support recovery. Researchers use both traditional methods and newer technologies, such as satellite data and smartphone tools, to measure how much green space people have around them and its quality. A key strength of the project is that it uses the same approach across four different European countries, each with different types of green spaces and ways people use them, making the results easier to compare and more reliable.

Overall, the project aims to provide stronger and clearer evidence about how nature affects human health and well-being. The findings are expected to help decision makers better integrate human health needs into land-use planning and green space management in both urban and rural areas.

Abstract

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.