Abstract
Blue spaces (water bodies) may promote positive mental and physical health through opportunities for relaxation, recreation, and social connections. However, we know little about the nature and extent of everyday exposure to blue spaces, particularly in settings outside the home or among children, nor whether exposure varies by individual or household characteristics. Wearable cameras offer a novel, reliable method for blue space exposure measurement. In this study, we used images from cameras worn over two days by 166 children in Wellington, New Zealand, and conducted content and blue space quantification analysis on each image (n = 749,389). Blue space was identified in 24,721 images (3.6%), with a total of 23 blue recreation events. Visual exposure and participation in blue recreation did not differ by ethnicity, weight status, household deprivation, or residential proximity to the coastline. Significant differences in both visual exposure to blue space and participation in blue recreation were observed, whereby children from the most deprived schools had significantly higher rates of blue space exposure than children from low deprivation schools. Schools may be important settings to promote equitable blue space exposures. Childhood exposures to blue space may not follow the expected income inequality trends observed among adults.
Highlights
Blue spaces have been defined as visible surface water [1,2].Blue space may promote positive mental health through opportunities for relaxation, reflection, and social connections or may promote physical health through activities such as swimming and recreation [3]
We found no significant differences by ethnicity, overweight status, household deprivation, or residential proximity to coastline, with only weak to moderate correlations between exposure to blue space and residential proximity to coastline
Few studies have directly examined exposure to blue space but since higher land values are often observed in coastal areas [21], it was expected that both residential proximity to blue spaces and household deprivation would exhibit significant differences
Summary
Blue space may promote positive mental health through opportunities for relaxation, reflection, and social connections or may promote physical health through activities such as swimming and recreation [3]. One relates to the visual exposure to natural spaces as a calming backdrop and the subsequent mental health benefits. Another pathway relates to the “access” to and usage of blue spaces including engagement in physical activities in blue spaces, maintaining a healthy weight, lowering blood pressure, and obtaining other physical health benefits [4]. Accessibility to and usage of blue spaces may serve to promote social connections, as blue spaces are venues for recreation (e.g., swimming, picnics, fishing), with concomitant benefits to both physical and mental
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