A systematic review of studies on the role of age and gender in associations between greenspace and mental health

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Age and gender are two characteristics of individuals that play an important role in the prevalence of mental health. Globally, the burden of mental, neurological and substance use is higher in females compared with males. The burden of common mental disorders (depression and anxiety) increases gradually from adolescence to young age (10–29) and decreases gradually after mid-40s. OBJECTIVE: to systematically review observational epidemiological studies on greenspace metrics and mental health in adults, with a specific focus on identifying and critically appraising evidence on the effects of age and gender. METHODS: The detailed review protocol was registered in PROSPERO in November 2018 and is available online (registration number: CRD42018115862). Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were searched for observational epidemiological studies on different greenspace metrics and their associations with mental health outcomes in adults, with a focus on studies that assessed the effects of age and gender on those associations. Critical appraisal and risk of bias assessment were conducted to create grades of the studies. RESULTS:We identified 36 studies, including 10 longitudinal studies and 26 cross-sectional studies. These comprised 21 analyses that considered age, and 32 that considered gender-specific differences, respectively. However, methodological heterogeneity restricted meta-analysis. The epidemiological evidence of the effect of age and gender on the association between mental health and greenspaces is limited. Our review found that older aged adults and women may have slightly greater benefits from residential greenspace for some outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Future studies are needed to further investigate the effects of age and gender in associations between residential greenspace and mental health outcomes. KEYWORDS: Greenspace, Mental Health, Age, Gender