Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Greenness of Students Differ in their Agreement in Home and Study Environments.

Alexander Karl Ferdinand Loder,Josef Gspurning,Mireille Nicoline Maria van Poppel,Christoph Paier

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103427

Abstract

Research has reported the associations between objective or subjective neighborhood greenness and health, with low agreement between the greenness scores. College students are prone to poor health, and data are lacking on home and university environments. We studied the agreement between greenness parameters and the associations of objective greenness with health in different locations. Three hundred and seventy-seven college students were recruited, with a mean age of 24 years, in the city of Graz, Austria. Objective and perceived greenness was assessed at home and at university. Health measures included the WHO-5 questionnaire for mental health, the IPAQ questionnaire (short) for physical activity and sedentariness, and body mass index. Per location, quintile pairs of objective and perceived greenness were classified into underestimates, correct estimates or overestimates. Interrater reliability and correlation analyses revealed agreement between greenness scores at home but not at university. ANOVA models only showed poorer mental health for students underestimating greenness at university (M = 51.38, SD = 2.84) compared to those with correct estimates (M = 61.03, SD = 1.85). Agreement between greenness scores at home but not at university was obtained, and mental health was related to the perception of greenness at university. We conclude that reliable and corresponding methods for greenness scores need to be developed.

Highlights

The biophilia hypothesis states that humans have developed and maintained an affinity for nature throughout their evolution [1,2]
There are plans and best practices for reintroducing nature into areas with a high degree of built environment [3], ongoing urban densification in cities is linked to a decline in natural features and “green space” [4,5]
A growing body of research shows that neighborhood greenness in cities is an integral component of residents’ health; there are positive associations between green space and

Summary

Introduction

The biophilia hypothesis states that humans have developed and maintained an affinity for nature throughout their evolution [1,2]. There are plans and best practices for reintroducing nature into areas with a high degree of built environment [3], ongoing urban densification in cities is linked to a decline in natural features and “green space” [4,5]. Green space is operationalized differently in distinct research contexts, but most definitions have in common that it includes vegetation, such as trees, bushes, grass and areas of water [6]. Despite the infrastructure for a technologically advanced world, humans need a certain “dose” of nature in their lives for their wellbeing, according to the biophilia hypothesis [1]. A growing body of research shows that neighborhood greenness in cities is an integral component of residents’ health; there are positive associations between green space and. Public Health 2020, 17, 3427; doi:10.3390/ijerph17103427 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion