Residential Green Space Research Articles

Residential green space improves cognitive performances in primary schoolchildren independent of traffic-related air pollution exposure

BackgroundCognitive performances of schoolchildren have been adversely associated with both recent and chronic exposure to ambient air pollution at the residence. In addition, growing evidence indicates that exposure to green space is associated with a wide range of health benefits. Therefore, we aimed to investigate if surrounding green space at the residence improves cognitive performance of primary schoolchildren while taking into account air pollution exposure.MethodsCognitive performance tests were administered repeatedly to a total of 307 primary schoolchildren aged 9-12y, living in Flanders, Belgium (2012–2014). These tests covered three cognitive domains: attention (Stroop and Continuous Performance Tests), short-term memory (Digit Span Forward and Backward Tests), and visual information processing speed (Digit-Symbol and Pattern Comparison Tests). Green space exposure was estimated within several radii around their current residence (50 m to 2000 m), using a aerial photo-derived high-resolution (1 m2) land cover map. Furthermore, air pollution exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 during the year before examination was modelled for the child’s residence using a spatial–temporal interpolation method.ResultsAn improvement of the children’s attention was found with more residential green space exposure independent of traffic-related air pollution. For an interquartile range increment (21%) of green space within 100 m of the residence, a significantly lower mean reaction time was observed independent of NO2 for both the sustained-selective (-9.74 ms, 95% CI: -16.6 to -2.9 ms, p = 0.006) and the selective attention outcomes (-65.90 ms, 95% CI: -117.0 to -14.8 ms, p = 0.01). Moreover, green space exposure within a large radius (2000 m) around the residence was significantly associated with a better performance in short-term memory (Digit-Span Forward Test) and a higher visual information processing speed (Pattern Comparison Test), taking into account traffic-related exposure. However, all associations were attenuated after taking into account long-term residential PM2.5 exposure.ConclusionsOur panel study showed that exposure to residential surrounding green space was associated with better cognitive performances at 9–12 years of age, taking into account traffic-related air pollution exposure. These findings support the necessity to build attractive green spaces in the residential environment to promote healthy cognitive development in children.

Environmental greenspace, subjective well-being, and all-cause mortality in elderly Chinese: Association and mediation study in a prospective cohort

BackgroundSubjective well-being (SWB) measures mental health and happiness. Greenspace can have a positive impact on mental health, and higher SWB is associated with lower all-cause mortality. We conducted a mediation analysis on greenspace and all-cause mortality through improving SWB, in a prospective cohort of Chinese older adults. MethodsWe included older adults over 65 from the 2008–2014 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We used satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to measure greenspaces and calculated SWB measured by eight items. Three main statistical approaches were used. First, we used generalized estimating equations (GEE) and Cox proportional hazard models to examine NDVI-SWB and SWB-mortality relationships. Second, we conducted a causal mediation analysis to investigate the mediating effect of greenspace on all-cause mortality through SWB. Third, we conducted subgroup analyses to discover effect modification. FindingsAmong 13,133 participants, the mean SWB score and NDVI in 2008 were 28·9 (SD 4·34) and 0·41 (SD 0·14), respectively. We found SWB partially mediated the relationship between residential greenspace and mortality in the adjusted model (average causal mediation effect = 0·11, p = 0·04; average direct effect = 1·96, p < 0·001; total effect = 2·07, p < 0·001) with varying proportions in subgroups. The protective influence was more evident for people with impaired cognitive function, living in rural areas and towns, and with lower income. InterpretationWe found a positive association between greenspace, SWB, and mortality. Greenness in the living environment confers better mental health and promotes longevity in the elderly population.

Key Factors Strengthening Residents’ Psychological Well-Being and Critical Human-Nature Connections within the Living Spaces—An Example from Beijing

Background: Residential green spaces and the co-inhabiting bird communities provide critical cultural ecosystem services for urban dwellers, which is critical for citizens’ psychological well-being but has largely been overlooked, especially in China. This study attempted to delineate the relationship between human-nature interactions occurring at different scenarios in the health deriving procedure, and identify the key factors influencing urban residents’ psychological well-being and the potential critical human-nature connections within their living spaces. Methods: Bird, plant, and social surveys were sequentially conducted. A model selection procedure based on AICc information was used to find the key factors that are responsible for residents’ psychological well-being, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to figure out the key drivers for the occurrence of critical within-living-space human-nature connections. Results: Most of the respondents are aware of the neighborhood biodiversity and most of them are fond of it, and respondents who prefer fauna over flora have a considerably lower depression degree. Watching birds is the only critical within-living-space nature-related activity that is responsible for residents’ psychological well-being. Both residents’ psychological well-being and bird watching activity were simultaneously affected by nature-related activities within and outside the living spaces, while their preference for different aspects of biodiversity and their capability in perceiving them were also important, despite the difference in exact parameters. In addition, personal attributes such as age, financial income, and physical or mental health status also contribute to psychological well-being. Conclusions: This study successfully bridged citizens’ minds with health products, and the major contribution was the demonstration of a spatial-scale-oriented circuit for people-nature connections, which contributes to the practical application of nature-based therapy.

Association between urban green space and postpartum depression, and the role of physical activity: a retrospective cohort study in Southern California

Little research exists regarding the relationships between green space and postpartum depression (PPD). We aimed to investigate the relationships between PPD and green space exposure, and the mediating role of physical activity (PA). Clinical data were obtained from Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic health records in 2008-2018. PPD ascertainment was based on both diagnostic codes and prescription medications. Maternal residential green space exposures were assessed using street view-based measures and vegetation types (i.e., street tree, low-lying vegetation, and grass), satellite-based measures [i.e., Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), land-cover green space, and tree canopy cover], and proximity to the nearest park. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to estimate the association between green space and PPD. A causal mediation analysis was performed to estimate the proportion mediated by PA during pregnancy in the total effects of green space on PPD. In total, we included 415,020 participants (30.2±5.8 years) with 43,399 (10.5%) PPD cases. Hispanic mothers accounted for about half of the total population. A reduced risk for PPD was associated with total green space exposure based on street-view measure [500 m buffer, adjusted odds ratio (OR) per interquartile range: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99], but not NDVI, land-cover greenness, or proximity to a park. Compared to other types of green space, tree coverage showed stronger protective effects (500 m buffer, OR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99). The proportions of mediation effects attributable to PA during pregnancy ranged from 2.7% to 7.2% across green space indicators. Street view-based green space and tree coverage were associated with a decreased risk of PPD. The observed association was primarily due to increased tree coverage, rather than low-lying vegetation or grass. Increased PA was a plausible pathway linking green space to lower risk for PPD. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS; R01ES030353).

Early-life residential green spaces and traffic exposure in association with young adult body composition: a longitudinal birth cohort study of twins

BackgroundGlobally, the rapid increase of obesity is reaching alarming proportions. A new approach to reduce obesity and its comorbidities involves tackling the built environment. Environmental influences seem to play an important role, but the environmental influences in early life on adult body composition have not been thoroughly investigated. This study seeks to fill the research gap by examining early-life exposure to residential green spaces and traffic exposure in association with body composition among a population of young adult twins.MethodsAs part of the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS) cohort, this study included 332 twins. Residential addresses of the mothers at time of birth of the twins were geocoded to determine residential green spaces and traffic exposure. To capture body composition, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference, skinfold thickness, leptin levels, and fat percentage were measured at adult age. Linear mixed modelling analyses were conducted to investigate early-life environmental exposures in association with body composition, while accounting for potential confounders. In addition, moderator effects of zygosity/chorionicity, sex and socio-economic status were tested.ResultsEach interquartile range (IQR) increase in distance to highway was found associated with an increase of 1.2% in WHR (95%CI 0.2–2.2%). For landcover of green spaces, each IQR increase was associated with 0.8% increase in WHR (95%CI 0.4–1.3%), 1.4% increase in waist circumference (95%CI 0.5–2.2%), and 2.3% increase in body fat (95%CI 0.2–4.4%). Stratified analyses by zygosity/chorionicity type indicated that in monozygotic monochorionic twins, each IQR increase in land cover of green spaces was associated with 1.3% increase in WHR (95%CI 0.5–2.1%). In monozygotic dichorionic twins, each IQR increase in land cover of green spaces was associated with 1.4% increase in waist-circumference (95%CI 0.6–2.2%).ConclusionsThe built environment in which mothers reside during pregnancy might play a role on body composition among young adult twins. Our study revealed that based on zygosity/chorionicity type differential effects of prenatal exposure to green spaces on body composition at adult age might exist.

Residential greenspace and risk of cancer: A prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank

BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests that proximity to greenspace is linked to multiple health outcomes, but its association with the risk of cancer is not fully understood. The mechanism for greenspace's influences on cancer incidence may be through reducing depressive symptoms and increasing physical activity. Our study aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to residential greenspace and the risk of common types of cancer and whether the associations were modified or mediated by depressive symptoms and physical activity. MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 401,189 participants in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010 who were free of cancer and followed up until 2021. Residential greenspace was defined as the percentage of outdoor greenspace surrounding the residential location of each participant across 1000 m and 300 m buffers, which were estimated with land use data. Electronic health records were used to assess the incidence of 25 types of cancer. Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) per an interquartile range (IQR) increase of greenspace after multiple comparisons using Bonferroni correction. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12.4 years, a total of 43,273 incident cancer cases were documented. We found that exposure to greenspace at a 1000 m buffer was significantly associated with prostate cancer (HR = 0.93, 95 % CI: 0.89–0.96), and suggestively associated with oral cavity (HR = 0.86, 95 % CI: 0.76–0.98) and bladder cancer (HR = 1.08, 95 % CI: 1.01–1.15), but not with other cancers. Moreover, the association between greenspace and prostate cancer was mediated by physical activity, and was modified by depressive symptoms (P for heterogeneity = 0.022). Similar findings were also observed for greenspace at a 300 m buffer. ConclusionOur study revealed an association between exposure to greenspace and prostate cancer, but not with other cancers.

Relations of residential green and blue spaces with new-onset chronic kidney disease

ObjectiveWe investigated the associations of residential green and blue spaces with chronic kidney disease (CKD) incidence, which have rarely been examined. MethodsA total of 346,697 participants from UK Biobank without CKD at baseline were included. Land coverage percentages of residential green and blue spaces at 300 m and 1000 m buffer were estimated using land use data. The primary outcome was new-onset CKD ascertained through linkage to health administrative datasets. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 10,101 new-onset CKD were documented. Overall, there were significant inverse associations of residential green space coverage at 300 m (per SD [21.7 %] increment, HR,0.96, 95%CI, 0.94–0.98) and 1000 m (per SD [20.7 %] increment, HR, 0.96, 95%CI, 0.94–0.98) buffer, and blue space at 300 m (per SD [1.1 %] increment, HR, 0.97, 95%CI, 0.95–1.00) and 1000 m (per SD [1.2 %] increment, HR, 0.97, 95%CI, 0.95–1.00) buffer with the risk of new-onset CKD. Moreover, at 300 m buffer, a significantly lower risk of new-onset CKD (HRs ranging from 0.88 to 0.90) was found in participants with both higher green space and higher blue space (both of them in the 2nd or 3rd tertile, and at least one in the 3rd tertile). At 1000 m buffer, a significantly lower risk of new-onset CKD (HRs ranging from 0.79 to 0.89) was found in participants with either higher green space or higher blue space (either one in the 2nd or 3rd tertile). Furthermore, PM2.5 did not significantly modify the association of exposure to green and blue space with the risk of CKD (all P for interactions >0.05). ConclusionsResidential green and blue spaces, especially at larger buffer sizes, might be protective factors against new-onset CKD.

Cross-sectional associations of different types of nature exposure with psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication

BackgroundExposure to natural environments is thought to be beneficial for human health, but the evidence is inconsistent.ObjectiveTo examine whether exposure to green and blue spaces in urban environments is associated...

Associations of residential green space with incident type 2 diabetes and the role of air pollution: A prospective analysis in UK Biobank

BackgroundGreen space is a newly modifiable environmental factor which would bring health benefits, and identifying potential pathways is important to better promote public health. Nowadays, limited evidence is available on residential green space and risk of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). To evaluate the longitudinal association between residential green space and incident T2D, and further illustrate the role of air pollution, we conducted a prospective analysis in UK Biobank. MethodsIncident cases of T2D were ascertained through medical linkage of hospital admissions. Residential green space indicated by percentage of green space at 300 m buffer was estimated using land use data. Annual average air pollution was modelled using Land Use Regression model. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the association between the exposure and incident T2D. Effect modification of air pollution was assessed using log-likelihood tests. Casual mediation analysis including interaction of green space and air pollution was used to quantity pure natural indirect effect of air pollution. ResultsOf 379,238 participants at baseline, 15564 incident T2D cases were identified with 12.4 years of follow-up. In main models, individuals who exposed to residential green space at 300 m buffer in high level (≥75 %) had 14.4 % (95 % CI: 8.0 %, 20.3 %) lower risk of incident T2D compared with those in low level (<25 %). This association was modified by NO2, with green space indicating higher protective effect in low NO2 level (Pinteraction = 0.098). PM2.5 had a high mediation effect of 37.0 % in the association. ConclusionElevated residential green space level was associated with lower risk of incident T2D, and air pollution played an important role in this association. These findings would contribute to policy making and healthy city construction to take air pollution into consideration while planning green space, which would maximize public health benefits.

Restorative Effects of Park Visiting on Physiology, Psychology, and Society and the Factors Influencing Park Visiting

Park visits are beneficial for people’s physical and psychological health, as well as for the development of social relationships. This study investigated the degree of recovery of physical, psychological, and social aspects of residents in different types of parks and the influence of socio-demographic factors, personal factors, residential space attributes, and park characteristics on park visitation. The results show that tourists visiting urban parks have higher physiological and social recovery than those visiting suburban parks and that there are significant differences. Physical exercise, rest and relaxation, and spending time with family and children were the three most prevalent factors influencing park visits, while time constraints were the most important reason why residents failed to use parks. Socio demographics, residential spatial attributes, individual variables, and park characteristics explained 13.6%, 16.7%, 4.6%, and 2.9% of the total variance in park visit frequency, respectively. Residential green space, age, children under age seven, time spent in residential green space, willingness to spend time in nature, greenery, maintenance, and amenities were positively associated with park use. Income, education, home price, and distance from home to the park were negatively associated with park use. These findings have implications for park management and for future research.

Classification and Extraction of Rural Green Coverage Based on Object-based High-resolution Remote Sensing Images

Rural green space is the foundation of rural environment. In order to solve the practical problems of rural green space, this paper starts from the perspective of rural space, and studies the systematic and normative extraction method of rural green space in Jiangning District of Nanjing city. It provides a scientific basis for the development of rural green space in China. Based on the object-oriented threshold classification method, this paper divides the rural green space into cultivated land, grassland, forest land, residential green space and road green space, and other features into water, road and urban and rural land, and analyzes the land coverage. The main research contents and conclusions are as follows: (1) The multi-scale segmentation parameters are determined. The influence of spectral factor, shape and compactness factor, segmentation scale and band weight on the experimental results is analyzed. After many experiments, the optimal segmentation scale parameters are determined as follows: water layer band weight 1:1:1:1:4, shape factor 0.1, compactness factor 0.5 and segmentation scale 60; The band weight of vegetation layer is 1:1:1:1:4, shape factor is 0.1, compactness factor is 0.5 and segmentation scale is 40; The band weight of urban and rural strata is 1:1:1:1:1, shape factor is 0.3, compactness factor is 0.5 and segmentation scale is 20. (2) The feature space rule sets of different land cover types are established. According to the spectral, geometric, texture and exponential characteristics of different land cover types, combined with sample analysis, the rule sets of extracting water body are determined as NDWI≥0.139, mean_ nir≤249; The rule set of green space and blue roof building is NDVI≥0.14; The rule set of blue roof building is NDSI≤- 0.19, mean_ Blue≥416; The rule set of road extraction is length ≥ 60, GLCM_ STdD≥44.5, BBI(374，453);The rule sets of grassland and cultivated land extraction were NDVI≤0.45, GLCM_ STdD≤36.1; The rule set of extracting cultivated land is rectangular fit≥0.74, NDVI≥0.16; The rule set of extracting road green space and residential green space is rel. Area of ≤20. (3) Object oriented threshold separation results and analysis. The results show that the overall accuracy of the method is 90.4%, and the kappa coefficient is 0.815. The total area of green space in the study area, including woodland, grassland, cultivated land, road green space and residential green space, is 1117413 m2, accounting for 87.7% of the total area. The area of other land types is 321148 m2, accounting for 12.3% of the total area. The rural greening rate in the study area is as high as 87.7%.

Green space, air pollution and gestational diabetes mellitus: A retrospective cohort study in central China

Emerging evidence suggests residential surrounding green space is beneficial for human health. The association between green space and GDM showed inconsistent results, and potential effect modification of green space with air pollution is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the association between green space and GDM, and further explore potential interaction and medication effects. Participants were recruited from a retrospective cohort study between 2015 and 2020 in Henan, China. Residential green space based on normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and air pollution exposure were estimated using spatial-statistical models. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between per 0.1 unit increase in NDVI with 4 buffer sizes (250 m, 500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m) and GDM. We examined potential interaction of green space and air pollutants on GDM. Mediating effects of air pollution associated with green space exposure on GDM were also investigated by causal mediation analyses. A total of 46,665 eligible pregnant women were identified. There were 4092 (8.8 %) women diagnosed with GDM according to the IADPSG criteria. We found that per 0.1-unit increment in NDVI250 m, NDVI500 m, NDVI1000 m and NDVI2000 m in second trimester were associated with the decreased risk of GDM, with adjusted OR of 0.921(95 %CI: 0.890–0.953), 0.922 (95 %CI: 0.891–0.953), 0.921 (95 %CI: 0.892–0.952) and 0.921 (95 %CI: 0.892–0.951), respectively. We identified significant interactions between second trimester PM2.5 and O3 exposure and NDVI for GDM (Pinteraction < 0.001). The causal mediation analysis showed that PM2.5 mediated approximately 2.5–5.5 % of the association between green space and GDM, while the estimated mediating effect of O3 was approximately 30.1–38.5 %. In conclusion, our study indicates that residential green space was associated with a reduced risk of GDM, particularly second trimester. Green space may benefit to GDM partly mediated by a reduction in PM2.5 and O3.

The effect modification of extreme temperatures on mental and behavior disorders by environmental factors and individual-level characteristics in Canada

ObjectiveAmbient extreme temperatures have been associated with mental and behavior disorders (MBDs). However, few studies have assesed whether vulnerability factors such as ambient air pollution, pre-existing mental health conditions and residential environmental factors increase susceptibility. This study aims to evaluate the associations between short-term variations in outdoor ambient extreme temperatures and MBD-related emergency department (ED) visits and how these associations are modified by vulnerability factors. MethodsWe conducted a case-crossover study of 9,958,759 MBD ED visits in Alberta and Ontario, Canada made between March 1st, 2004 and December 31st, 2020. Daily average temperature was assigned to individual cases with ED visits for MBD using gridded data at a 1 km × 1 km spatial resolution. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate associations between extreme temperatures (i.e., risk of ED visit at the 2.5th percentile temperature for cold and 97.5th percentile temperature for heat for each health region compared to the minimal temperature risk) and MBD ED visits. Age, sex, pre-existing mental health conditions, ambient air pollution (i.e. PM2.5, NO2 and O3) and residential environmental factors (neighborhood deprivation, residential green space exposure and urbanization) were evaluated as potential effect modifiers. ResultsCumulative exposure to extreme heat over 0–5 days (odds ratio [OR] = 1.145; 95% CI: 1.121–1.171) was associated with ED visits for any MBD. However, cumulative exposure to extreme cold was associated with lower risk of ED visits for any MBD (OR = 0.981; 95% CI: 0.976–0.987). We also found heat to be associated with ED visits for specific MBDs such as substance use disorders, dementia, neurotic disorders, schizophrenia and personality behavior disorder. Individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions, those exposed to higher daily concentrations of NO2 and O3 and those residing in neighborhoods with greater material and social deprivation were at higher risk of heat-related MBD ED visits. Increasing tree canopy coverage appeared to mitigate risks of the effect of heat on MBD ED visits. ConclusionsFindings provide evidence that the impacts of heat on MBD ED visits may vary across different vulnerability factors.

Resident Satisfaction of Urban Green Spaces through the Lens of Landsenses Ecology.

Residents' satisfaction of urban green space has been widely detected in living environments around the world. Most previous reports were performed with objective indicators to reflect the characteristics of vegetation and landscapes of residential green space. However, subjective senses as impact factors in the evaluation of residents' satisfaction based on landsenses ecology are scarce. To address this, in this study, physical perception, aesthetic cognition, and psychological cognition as latent variables in a structural equation model were investigated to determine the residents' satisfaction in Xiamen, in southeast China, a famously high green space coverage region. The results indicate that physical perception is the fundamental condition to improve residents' satisfaction, while aesthetic cognition and psychological cognition are the direct factors that influenced residents' satisfaction. Residents exhibit a preference for the residential green space which contains more biodiversity and landscape diversity, a higher biomass, and greater openness. In addition, the residents' perception significantly related to greenspace characteristics. The results provide a scientific basis for urban green space planning and optimization of ecological resources' allocation.

Comparing green spaces provision and accessibility indicators over a latitudinal gradient and multiple climate zones

Monitoring urban green space (UGS) indicators is key to assessing progress against the UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs). Within these indicators, measuring the provision of UGS as well as its accessibility is considered a major objective. However, neither the relationship between the two indicators, nor differences related to different types of UGS have been adequately evaluated. In this paper, these two indicators are calculated and analyzed for four size-based types of UGS and for 69 municipalities, which are part of the 16 regional capital cities of Chile. For the provision indicator, the average calculated over all municipalities does not reach the often proposed standard of 11 sq.m/inhab., but only 5.29 sq.m/inhab. Regarding the accessibility indicator, when a walking speed of 4 km/h is considered, the smaller residential green spaces have the highest accessibility (65 % of the population have access), but accessibility for larger GS is low. When a walking speed of 2 km/h is assumed, then accessibility drops to 29 %, 5 %, 5 % and 5 % respectively. We found that calculation results for the four types of UGS are statistically different, and therefore one type cannot replace another in case of monitoring: Higher UGS provision does not guarantee higher accessibility.

Improving atmospheric particulate matter removal of residential green space based on Landscape patterns and plant functional types

Improving atmospheric particulate matter removal of residential green space based on Landscape patterns and plant functional types

Emergency department visits for mental disorders and the built environment: Residential greenspace and historical redlining

The built environment has been increasingly shown to impact mental health. However, little is known about how and the extent to which exposure to greenspace in the residential environment is associated with emergency department visits for mental disorders. In addition, despite recent findings highlighting the links between historical discriminatory housing policies and health outcomes, no evidence is available regarding historical redlining and mental health. We aimed to investigate the extent to which the availability of greenspace in residential surroundings and historical redlining was associated with risks of mental disorder-related emergency department visits. In this ecological study, we analyzed state-wide data on emergency room visits for mental health in all metropolitan areas in Texas between 2016 and 2019. Greenspace coverage was determined using the National Land Cover Database. Historical redlining was defined as the type C (definitely declining) or D (hazardous) designations according to the 1930 s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) Security Maps. We fitted a conditional autoregressive spatial model with zero truncated negative binomial distribution to assess associations among emergency department visits, greenspace availability, and redlining, adjusted for risk and protective urban and social-demographic factors. We found that, with a 1% increase in greenspace coverage in a zip code area, the risk of emergency department visits due to mental health disorders was expected to decrease by 0.16% (IRR = 0.9984, 95% CI: 0.9971–0.9997). Meanwhile, a 1% increase of historically redlining zones was associated with a 0.88% increase (IRR = 1.0088, 95% CI: 1.0056-1.0120) in the risk of emergency department visits for mental health disorders. Our findings support the notion that exposure to natural environments is linked to lower risks of emergency department visits for mental disorders. They also indicate that systematic segregation institutionalized by historical housing policies might be related to present-day mental health-related emergency department visits. This study offers novel insights into the built environmental correlates of mental health and provides planning and policy implications related to mental health and health equity promotion.

Associations of residential greenspace exposure and fetal growth across four areas in Spain.

An accumulating body of evidence has associated exposure to greenspace with improved birth outcomes, including higher birth weight and lower risk of low birth weight; however, evidence on such association with in-utero fetal growth is scarce. We explored the influence of maternal exposure to residential greenspace and fetal growth in four INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) Spanish birth cohorts (2003-2008), with 2,465 participants. Residential greenspace was characterised by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) average across 100m, 300m, and 500m buffers around the residence. Repeated ultrasound measurements of the abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were used. We created customised-generalised least squares models to evaluate associations of residential greenspace exposure on each fetal growth parameter, controlled for the relevant confounders. There were associations between the 500m buffer and BPD, FL, and AC. We also found associations in the 300m buffer and FL and AC. The associations in the 100m buffer were null. Estimates were higher among participants with lower socioeconomic status. Mediation analyses found that air pollution might explain 15-37% of our associations. Mediation by physical activity was not observed. Greenspace exposure may be beneficial for fetal growth.

Associations between residential greenspace exposure and premature mortality in London, UK: a data-linkage study

BackgroundUrban greenspaces might reduce non-communicable disease risk. The links between greenspaces and mortality related to non-communicable disease remain unclear. We estimated the associations between residential greenspace quantity and access with all-cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, and type 2 diabetes mortality. MethodsWe linked 2011 UK Census data of London-dwelling adults (aged ≥18 years) to data from the UK death registry and the Greenspace Information for Greater London resource (N=4 645 581). We calculated percent greenspace area, access point density (access points per km2), and distance (metres) to the nearest access point for each respondent's residential neighbourhood (defined as 1000-m street network buffers) for greenspaces overall and by park type using a geographic information system. We estimated associations using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for a range of confounders. Ethics approval was granted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Observational/Interventions Research Ethics Committee. FindingsRespondents were followed for 8·4 years (SD 1·4). A one percentage point increase in pocket park area was associated with a 6% decrease in all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0·94 [95% CI 0·92–0·97]) and an increase of ten pocket park access points per km2 was associated with an 8% decreased respiratory mortality risk (0·92 [0·85–0·99]). Other associations were observed but the estimated effects were 3% or less. For example, all-cause mortality risk for increases of one percentage point in regional park area (0·99 [0·99–1·00]) and increases of ten small open space access points per km2 (1·03 [1·02–1·03]). InterpretationIncreasing pocket park quantity and access might mitigate premature mortality risk. More research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms that could explain these associations. FundingHealth Data Research UK.

NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS TO NATURE IN ADULTS AND OLDER PEOPLE

Introduction: The evidence suggests that natural environments are essential for sustainable urban development, for the quality of life and well-being of the population, through improved health and physical activity (PA). However, the relationship between the connectedness to nature (CN), the percentage of vegetation cover in the neighborhood, and levels of PA still need further investigation. Purpose: The current study examines the associations between residential green space, PA, and CN in subjects between the ages of 18 and 75 years. Methods: The sample included 194 individuals, 61 men (41.42±15.37 years) and 133 women (39.93±15.60 years). Green space coverage (%) was appreciated through the Simplified Land Occupation Map. Total PA, moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and steps/day were measured using triaxial accelerometers (wGT3X-BT) which were worn on the non-dominant wrist for 4 consecutive days. Levels of MVPA ≥150 min/week and steps/day ≥10 000 were considered recommended and the Connectedness to Nature Scale was applied. The data were analyzed using the Student’s T test or the Mann-Whitney U test. For one of the analyses, a cutoff value of 44 years was considered, based on the division into two groups with equal numbers of observations. We also performed Pearson’s correlation and partial correlation analyses. Statistical significance was set at p ≤0.05. Results: The sample belonged to an area with high vegetation cover (71.51±15.15%) and exhibited a medium-high affective relationship with nature (3.73±0.43 points). The MVPA levels and steps/day identified in each gender were within the values recommended in the literature (182.75 ± 110.24 min/week and 13166.23± 3843.36 steps/day in men and 175.86±118.84 min/week and 125886.14±3783.46 steps/day in women). No statistically significant differences were identified between the two genders in relation to age, physical activity, green space coverage and connectedness to nature. In both genders, age showed a positive association with CN (r=0.303 in men and r=0.277 in women, p ≤0.05). In women, a significant correlation was also identified between age and the green area (r=0.286, p ≤0.01). Our results also indicated that in both genders, living in an area with high vegetation cover contributes to a greater affective and experiential connection with nature (r=0.426 for men and r=0.107 for women, p ≤0.05). Controlling for age this association in men was 0.390 for p ≤0.01 with a confidence of 15.2%. In women this association lost statistical significance with age control. Concerning the variables evaluated by accelerometry, we identified only in women a relationship between the CN and the number of daily steps (r=0.189, p ≤0.05). In both genders, the results also revealed that individuals aged 44 or older were those who exhibited a higher CN and performed a greater number of daily steps compared to individuals aged ≤44 years. Conclusions: Our results suggest that older individuals and those living in areas with a high percentage of vegetation cover exhibited greater affective connection with the natural environment. Women more connected to the natural environment and live in areas with greater vegetation cover tend to be more active, performing a greater number of daily steps. Funding: This work is supported by National Funds by FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects UIDB/04033/2020, UID04045/2020 and UIDB/00073/2020. The investigation was also supported by European funding program Interreg Atlantic Area, under the project (EAPA_772/2018-Triple-C).