Outdoor Physical Environment Research Articles

The outdoor physical environment, inflammation and adult psychological distress in a UK general population sample

Abstract Inflammation is one of the suggested pathways linking exposure to neighbourhood air pollution and greenspace to psychological distress. Yet, inflammation has not been tested formally as a mediating factor in an adult human sample. Using data from 6813 adults participating in Understanding Society, the present study examines longitudinally the joint role of the two neighbourhood‐level exposures in psychological distress and the mediating role of inflammation. Annual concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and availability of greenspace in participants' neighbourhoods across England and Wales were examined. Psychological distress was measured with the General Health Questionnaire. Inflammation was assessed with C‐reactive protein and fibrinogen. A structural equation model path analysis showed that, in fully adjusted models, an increase in the amount of greenspace in one's neighbourhood was related to lower psychological distress 4 years later, but inflammation did not mediate this relationship. Neighbourhood‐level air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide, was not associated with psychological distress. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

A Review on the Impact of Outdoor Environment on Indoor Thermal Environment

Outdoor environment exchanges heat with indoor environment, enabling pollutants to infiltrate indoors, affecting buildings’ energy efficiency, comfort, and indoor air quality. Investigating the impact of the outdoor environment on the indoor thermal environment is crucial. Firstly, this paper reviews the coupling method to link the outdoor environment with the indoor environment. Secondly, it examines the impact of the outdoor physical environment, including neighboring buildings, greening, road surface, water body, and sky, on the indoor thermal environment. During the hottest summer, an increase of 17% in trees can reduce indoor temperature by 1.1 °C. Thirdly, the impact of weather conditions, including outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, external wind, global warming, extreme weather conditions, and solar radiation, on the indoor thermal environment is studied. Due to global warming, cooling energy consumption and heating energy consumption in 2050 could increase by 223% to 1050%, and heating demand could decrease by 36% to 58%. Finally, the impact of outdoor air pollution on indoor environment and energy consumption is analyzed. For every 75 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration, average power consumption could increase by 11.2%. Recommendations for future research are provided. This study contributes to the understanding of the outdoor–indoor thermal relationship and offers insights into enhancing indoor thermal comfort and reducing building energy consumption.

Multi-objective optimization design of residential area based on microenvironment simulation

In current research on old communities, less attention is given to the comfort and greenhouse gas emissions of the indoor and outdoor physical environment. Only a few studies focus on optimization strategies for these environments in old communities. Thus, the absence of suitable theoretical guidance in specific engineering practices can lead to issues. Renovated old communities still face challenges such as overheating in summer, overcooling in winter, and high energy consumption. In this article, based on the optimization of low- and medium-rise old communities in five typical cities in China, corresponding strategies such as geometric and envelope design parameters are proposed in terms of building greenhouse gas emission and indoor and outdoor thermal environment comfort. Several methods are employed in this study, including parametric simulation using Grasshopper with the Ladybug and Honeybee plugins for data collection. This research conduct sensitivity analysis using Random Forest Regressor (RFR), Gradient Boosting Regressor (GBR) and Decision Tree Regressor (DTR) to explore the relationship between design variables and environmental objectives. Predictive modeling with ensemble models and multi-objective optimization using the NSGA-2 algorithm help identify optimal design parameters for varied urban climates. The results demonstrated indoor and outdoor comfort of communities can be improved to a greater extent while reducing carbon emissions. Quantitatively, compared to the baseline model, all cities except Wuhan can improve the year-round comfort time of the outdoor thermal environment by more than 50%. Besides, communities in hot summer and warm winter regions (e.g. Shenzhen and Nanning) can reduce their annual carbon emissions by more than 300t, and communities in hot summer and cold winter regions (e.g. Hangzhou, Chengdu and Wuhan) can reduce their annual carbon emissions by more than 100t. The research results will serve as a scientific basis for energy saving and emission reduction and provide decision-making methods for the development of old communities.

The Relationship between the Quality of Kindergartens’ Outdoor Physical Environment and Preschoolers’ Social Functioning

The ability to initiate and engage in relationships is a critical landmark and predictor of children’s development and well-being. In kindergarten, children exhibit greater social participation outdoors rather than indoors. Indeed, the physical environment influences preschoolers’ social proximity. In this study, we examine the relationship between the quality of kindergartens’ outdoor physical environment and preschoolers’ social functioning. Two kindergartens in Gondomar, Portugal, were selected to participate according to different levels of their physical environment outdoors (poor and fair quality) and measured by a specific physical environment rating scale. Twenty-six children (aged 3–6, 10 boys) participated in this study. Children’s social proximity at the playground was measured through Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID). Mann–Whitney statistical tests were used to compare social proximity between groups. Our results showed that in the higher quality outdoor area, children spent less time alone and more time in social proximity with their peers in smaller groups (one or two children). More time was also spent in social proximity with different genders. Our study emphasizes the critical importance of reviewing kindergartens’ outdoor physical environments to support preschoolers’ social needs in a more challenging and diverse setting.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRINKING WATER HABITS AND WORK CLIMATE PERCEPTIONS WITH DEHYDRATION INCIDENCE IN SHIPPING COMPANIES’ WORKERS

Introduction: Workers in the maintenance and repair division's shipping division work in outdoor physical environments, which get hot temperatures from the environment. They cause excessive sweating while working and can cause dehydration if not drinking enough water. Methods: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between drinking habits and work climate perception with dehydration status in shipping companies' workers. The research method was analytic observational, with a cross-sectional design in 2019 in one of the shipping companies with a sample size of 49 workers who were selected using simple random sampling from 55 worker populations. The independent variables included respondent characteristics, drinking water consumption habits, and work climate perceptions, while the dependent variable was dehydration status. Dehydration status among workers was measured base on the specific gravity of urine measured in the laboratory, and the working climate was measured using a heat stress monitor. Result: The results showed that 85.71% of workers had minimum dehydration status, and 14.29% had significant dehydration. Then, there was a meaningful relationship between drinking water habits and dehydration status (r = -0.320 and p = 0.025). There was also a relationship between workers' work climate perceptions and dehydration status (r = -0.283 and p = 0.049). Conclusion: The relationship showed a weak negative meaning that the less habit of drinking water among workers, the higher the dehydration status of the workers. The more disturbed they perceive the working climate; the less dehydrated status of workers will be. So it can be ignored that there were drinking habits and the work climate perceptions with dehydrated status in shipping companies' workers. Keywords: dehydration status, drinking habits, work climate perceptions.

An Overview of Environmental Risk Factors for Food Allergy.

IgE-mediated food allergy is an increasing public health concern in many regions around the world. Although genetics play a role in the development of food allergy, the reported increase has occurred largely within a single generation and therefore it is unlikely that this can be accounted for by changes in the human genome. Environmental factors must play a key role. While there is strong evidence to support the early introduction of allergenic solids to prevent food allergy, this is unlikely to be sufficient to prevent all food allergy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on risk factors for food allergy with a focus the outdoor physical environment. We discuss emerging evidence of mechanisms that could explain a role for vitamin D, air pollution, environmental greenness, and pollen exposure in the development of food allergy. We also describe the recent extension of the dual allergen exposure hypothesis to potentially include the respiratory epithelial barrier in addition to the skin. Few existing studies have examined the relationship between these environmental factors with objective measures of IgE-mediated food allergy and further research in this area is needed. Future research also needs to consider the complex interplay between multiple environmental factors.

Outdoor environment assessment tool for existing neighbourhoods based on the multi-criteria decision-making method

Numerous existing neighbourhoods, such as many of those built-in 1980–2000 in China, have poor physical environmental conditions. Supplemented by field investigations, this paper puts forward an outdoor environment evaluation tool designed for existing neighbourhoods based on the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. Evaluation indicators of the acoustic, luminous, and thermal environments and air quality were chosen and classified according to the characteristics of existing neighbourhoods. The weight of each indicator was determined through opinions from both residents and experts. To achieve a comprehensive score, the calculation was carried out based on a multi-level system for neighbourhoods with different conditions/requirements. The proposed methodology was then applied to measure the outdoor environment performance of four existing neighbourhoods in Hangzhou, China. Results showed that, for all neighbourhoods, the outdoor environments were shown to be inadequate regarding acoustic and luminous environments, with improvement potential for the thermal environment and air quality. Corresponding suggestions for renovation and upgrading were put forward. The proposed tool can inform renovation potential of existing neighbourhoods from both residents' and experts’ opinions, diagnosis of outdoor physical environments in four aspects, and development of renovation strategies under different environmental conditions/requirements.

Generating Residential Layout Based on AI in the View of Wind Environment

There is a contradiction between the high-density residential area development form and comfortable outdoor physical environment. The existing studies on wind environment of high-rise residential areas only provide the guidance for the simple general layouts, which cannot cope with the fact that most high-rise residential areas are mixed of point buildings and board buildings, and it would cost a lot of time and resources to carry out computer simulation of each layout. This paper presents a new tool, which uses the automatic optimization function of genetic algorithm and the prediction function of fully convolutional neural network to integrates three functions: the automatic generation of high-rise residential layout, the simulation of wind environment and the comparison for optimization, to learn plan scheduling and obtain the optimal solution for high-rise residential layout under specific plot ratio and plot conditions, provides guidance for today’s fast-paced architectural design.

Outdoor environmental investigation of old communities during summer in hot summer and cold winter regions

The outdoor physical environments of many old communities are unable to meet modern living requirements and require improvement urgently. This is especially true for communities in regions with extremely hot summers and cold winters, which may cause additional difficulties. This study used measurements and questionnaire data to investigate outdoor environment (the thermal, sound, light environments and air quality) and resident sensations in four such communities. Results revealed some key factors affecting outdoor environmental comfort, including summer shading, winter sunlight, air temperature, air quality, the sound environment and odour. The results also revealed that the main problems were noise, insufficient illumination and high air temperatures in summer, all of which had seriously affected comfort during outdoor activities. Specifically, noise values during the most unfavourable periods were between 57.4 and 80.6 dB(A), while average air temperatures were between 32.3°C and 35.8°C, and average illuminances were below 2.9 lx. As such, this paper proposes improvement measures such as sound barriers and greening. Further, we propose a method for prioritizing these factors for such improvements based on a combination of subjective and objective factors. This study provides data and technical references for the reconstruction of old communities in regions with hot summers and cold winters.

Restorative benefits of everyday green exercise: A spatial approach

Contact with green space has been associated with diverse beneficial impacts on human health. Studies focusing on green exercise suggest that physical activity undertaken in green environments provides more mental health benefits than physical activity in indoor or other outdoor settings. However, this evidence is largely based on experimental field studies that control the participants’ contact with green space, while there is a lack of evidence that the real-life settings for green exercise promote mental health. This study applies a spatial approach using public participation GIS (PPGIS) methods to explore the perceived restorative outcomes of diverse outdoor physical activity environments. The data were collected in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland, with a map-based online survey directed to adults aged 18–65 years (n = 760). Perceived restoration was measured with three variables; stress reduction, relaxation, and nature enjoyment. Logistic regression analyses revealed significant differences in the perceived restoration outcomes between diverse outdoor physical activity environments. Stress reduction and relaxation during physical activity were most likely to be experienced near blue spaces and in large (>30 ha) urban and recreational forests, while nature enjoyment was associated with natural environments of all sizes. The results of this study suggest that exercising in blue spaces and in large natural areas provides additional restorative benefits compared to exercise undertaken in built outdoor environments. These results support a synergistic conception of urban health that acknowledges the diversity of health benefits provided by public open spaces, in particular blue and natural green settings.

The Effect of Upgrades to Childcare Outdoor Spaces on Preschoolers' Physical Activity: Findings from a Natural Experiment.

Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for childhood obesity. Preventing obesity in the early years reduces the risk of developing chronic health conditions later. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are important settings to establish good preschooler physical activity behaviors. This natural experiment investigated the influence of ECEC outdoor physical environment upgrade on preschoolers’ physical activity (aged 2–5 years). Centers implemented upgrades without researcher input. Physical activity was measured by 7-day accelerometry for intervention (n = 159; 6 centers) and control (n = 138; 5 centers) groups. ECEC outdoor space was assessed using a modified Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) Instrument. Key outcomes were measured at baseline and 6–12 months follow-up. Fixed sandboxes, balls, portable slides, portable floor play equipment (e.g., tumbling mats), and natural grassed areas were positively associated with activity levels; fixed tunnels and twirling equipment were negatively associated with activity levels (all p < 0.05). Post-upgrade portable play equipment (balls, twirling equipment, slides, floor play equipment) increased intervention preschoolers’ moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels compared to control (p < 0.05). Intervention preschoolers were more active than control at follow-up (58.09 vs. 42.13 min/day increase in total physical activity; 30.46 vs. 19.16 min/day increase in MVPA (all p < 0.001)). Since few preschoolers meet daily activity recommendations while at ECEC, the findings may help ECEC providers to optimize outdoor physical environments and encourage more active play among preschoolers.

Demographic, socio-economic and behavior as risk factors of tuberculosis in Malaysia: a systematic review of the literature.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is making a comeback and has remained one of the main causes of mortality among the list of infectious diseases in Malaysia. Objective To evaluate the burden and demographic, socio-economic and behavior as risk factors of TB among communities in Malaysia. Method A comprehensive search of Scopus, Sciencedirect, PubMed, DOAJ, CINAHL Plus, MyJournal, BIREME, BMC Public Health, Medline, CAB, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), and Web of Science (WoS) was undertaken from the articles published from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2017 using medical subject heading (MeSH) key terms. Results Of 717 papers screened, 31 eligible studies met our inclusion criteria. Gender, age, marriage status, ethnicity, area of living, being in prison and immigrant were evaluated as demographic factors, while educational level, occupation and household income were evaluated as socio-economic factors. For behavioral factors, smoking, drug abuse, alcohol consumption and other lifestyle practices were evaluated. However, not all the studies were statistically significantly associated with these risk factors. Studies on household income were few and too small to permit a conclusion. We also did not find any study that investigated TB infection among sex workers. Conclusion Immigrant in high density settings may increase the progression of disease infection in Malaysia. The risk factors for the development of TB, specifically in a high-risk population, should be targeted through the implementation of specialized interventions. Further research into the role of indoor and outdoor physical environments is required to better understand the association between the physical environment and the social environment with TB infection.

The physical environment in family childcare homes and children's physical activity.

Family childcare homes (FCCHs) are the second largest provider of childcare in the United States, yet little is known about how this setting influences children's physical activity, particularly related to the physical environment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine what aspects of the FCCH physical environment facilitate or hinder children's physical activity. Data were collected from 166 FCCH providers and 496 preschool-aged children in 2013-2014 as part of the Keys to Healthy FCCHs study. Children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured using Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Wear data from the childcare day were isolated, and cut-points were applied in order to calculate children's minutes of MVPA per hour. FCCH-level estimates of child MVPA per hour were calculated. Indoor and outdoor physical environment characteristics were assessed during a 2-day observation using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation modified for FCCHs. General linear models were used to examine the relationship between indoor, portable play equipment, and outdoor FCCH physical environment characteristics and children's MVPA per hour. Only indoor play space was significantly associated with children's MVPA (β=0.33; p=.034), indicating that when provided with more indoor space for active play, children were more physically active. No significant associations were noted between portable play equipment or the outdoor environment and children's MVPA. Indoor space was the only physical environment characteristic associated with children's MVPA, suggesting that teaching FCCH providers how to best utilize their indoor play space for active play may be a way to promote children's physical activity. Futures studies should explore the impact of other environmental characteristics of the FCCH (e.g., provider practices and policies) on children's physical activity.

Health Dynamics in the Built Environment: An Urban Intensity Perspective - An Exploratory Study in Trinidad and Tobago.

The built environment encompasses the physical components of the environment, inclusive of infrastructure, households, buildings, streets, and open spaces, within which individuals reside and carry out their daily activities. It affects both indirectly and directly on the outdoor and indoor physical environment as well as the socio-economic environment. The elements which comprise the built environment and those of the physical and socio-economic environments, which are affected by it, are recognised as key determinants of health. In this study, health dynamics in the built environment are explored along the urban-rural gradient in Trinidad and Tobago. The gradient is measured by a statistically validated Urban Intensity Index developed previously, using physical data from the built environment. Published physical health data from National Surveys as well as data collected on perceptions of health care access and environmental quality are utilised in conjunction with the Urban Intensity Index values to model chronic illness. Multivariate statistical analysis and maps are used to explore and illustrate these dynamics. Ultimately, the outputs of this study can potentially support efforts to diminish the gap between rhetoric and reality, through provision of critical information for policy and decision making, as the global development agenda moves towards evidence-based policy making.

Integrating smartphone technology, social support and the outdoor physical environment to improve fitness among adults at risk of, or diagnosed with, Type 2 Diabetes: Findings from the ‘eCoFit’ randomized controlled trial

The risk and prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) has dramatically increased over the past decade. The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a physical activity intervention to improve aerobic and muscular fitness among adults at risk of, or diagnosed with T2D. A 20-week, assessor blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at the University of Newcastle (June–December 2015). Adults were randomized to the intervention (n=42) or wait-list control group (n=42). The theory-based intervention included: Phase 1 (weeks 1–10) integrated group sessions (outdoor physical activity and cognitive mentoring), and the eCoFit smartphone application (app). Phase 2 (weeks 11–20) only included the eCoFit app. Participants were assessed at baseline, 10weeks and 20weeks. Linear mixed models (intention-to-treat) were used to determine group-by-time interactions at 10weeks (primary time-point) and 20weeks for the primary outcomes. Several secondary outcomes were also assessed. After 10weeks, significant group-by-time effects were observed for aerobic fitness (4.5mL/kg/min; 95% CI [1.3, 7.7], d=0.68) and muscular fitness (lower body) (3.4 reps, 95% CI [2.7, 4.2], d=1.45). Intervention effects for secondary outcomes included significant increased physical activity (1330steps/week), improved upper body muscular fitness (5 reps; arm-curl test), improved functionality (−1.8s; timed-up and go test) reduced waist circumference (2.8cm) and systolic blood pressure (−10.4mmHg). After 20weeks, significant effects were observed for lower body muscular fitness and health outcomes. eCoFit is an innovative lifestyle intervention which integrates smartphone technology, social support, and the outdoor environment to improve aerobic and muscular fitness.

Rationale and study protocol for the ‘eCoFit’ randomized controlled trial: Integrating smartphone technology, social support and the outdoor physical environment to improve health-related fitness among adults at risk of, or diagnosed with, Type 2 Diabetes

IntroductionThe prevalence and risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) has dramatically increased over the past decade. Physical activity (PA) has significant benefits for the treatment and prevention of T2D. The aim of this study is to develop, implement and evaluate a community-based PA intervention to improve aerobic and muscular fitness among adults at risk of, or diagnosed with T2D. Research design and methodsThe eCoFit pilot intervention will be evaluated using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The 20-week (Phases 1 and 2) multi-component intervention was guided by Social Cognitive Theory, Health Action Process Approach Model, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy strategies. Phase 1 (Weeks 1–10) includes: i) 5 group face-to-face sessions consisting of outdoor training and cognitive mentoring; and ii) the use of the eCoFit smartphone application with a description of where and how to use the outdoor environment to be more physically active. Phase 2 (Weeks 11–20) includes the use of the eCoFit smartphone application only. Assessments are to be conducted at baseline, 10-weeks (primary end-point) and 20-weeks (secondary end-point) post-baseline. Primary outcomes are cardio-respiratory fitness and muscular fitness (lower body). Secondary outcomes include physical, behavioral, mental health and quality of life, and social–cognitive outcomes. DiscussioneCoFit is an innovative, multi-component intervention, which integrates smartphone technology, social support and the outdoor physical environment to promote aerobic and resistance training PA among adults at risk of, or diagnosed with T2D. The findings will be used to guide future interventions and to develop and implement effective community-based prevention programs. Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry No: ACTRN12615000990527.

Young children’s preferences: What stimulates children’s cognitive play in outdoor preschools?

A number of studies have identified childcare environments as significant resources for children’s development, learning through play, and contact with nature. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how, from a child’s perspective, specific outdoor physical environments in preschools stimulate children’s cognitive play. Emphasizing on the value of listening to children, this study reports the perspectives of 22, 4- to 5-year-olds. The study context was an outdoor preschool with natural, mixed, and manufactured settings. A combination of photo preferences and semi-structured interviews was used to investigate children’s perception of preferred settings and cognitive plays. The results identified that children mainly enjoyed functional and dramatic play. They mostly preferred mixed behavior settings that incorporated ranges of natural and manufactured elements. Compared to other settings, children found mixed settings provided the most opportunities for functional, constructive, dramatic, and game with rules play. The outcomes of this study have implications for the design of outdoor preschools, suggesting a balanced integration of nature with manufactured play features to enhance cognitive play experiences.

Measurement of the Thermal Environment in Temporary Settlements with High Building Density after 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake in China

After 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China, a large amount of temporary settlements with high building density had appeared in the earthquake-stricken area. These temporary settlements all consisted of low-energy temporary buildings: prefab houses. In order to make clear the indoor and outdoor physical environments in the settlements, we measured the relevantly important parameters such as wind velocity, air temperature in Happy Homeland, a typical post-disaster temporary settlement. The field measurements’ results showed as followed: (1) the indoor thermal environment of the prefab houses in summer was always worse than that in winter, (2) the wind velocity inside settlement was much lower than that outside, and indoor ventilation was very poor, (3) a micro-scale heat island effect further deteriorated both the summer outdoor and indoor thermal environment.

Can schoolyard improvements increase physical activity for the least active students, or just provide better opportunities for the most active?

Introduction School physical activity interventions can improve the physical environment and organizational environment of schools to increase the opportunities for physical activity (PA) in recess. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if improvements to the outdoor physical environment at the school had equal impact on all students regardless of their PA at baseline [1] . Method The SPACE-study used a cluster randomized controlled study design with a 2-year follow-up, and enrolled 1348 students aged 11–13 years from 14 schools in Denmark. A web-based questionnaire was used to obtain knowledge of PA during recess and in leisure time. The multicomponent intervention comprised 11 components, and included a combination of changes to the physical environment and organizational changes. Results At baseline, 73% of the students reported to engage in sport outside school and were characterized as “the most active”. At the intervention schools the proportion of student who reported good possibilities for outdoor PA increased (71% to 75%), while the proportion decreased at the comparison schools (87% to 68%). The proportion of students reporting to be active daily during recess decreased for all groups (87% to 58%). The decrease was smaller at the intervention schools (88% to 62%), but only for the students characterized as the most active at baseline (90% to 66%). Furthermore, there was large variation between intervention schools. Conclusion The intervention produced considerable changes to the environment of all seven intervention schools, and had a positive impact on self-rated PA during recess for the most active students at baseline.

Camden active spaces: Does the construction of active school playgrounds influence children's physical activity levels? A longitudinal quasi-experiment protocol

IntroductionPhysical activity is essential for every facet of children's health. However, physical activity levels in British children are low. The school environment is a promising setting to increase children's physical...