Social Well-being Benefits Research Articles

Urban green space access, social cohesion, and mental health outcomes before and during Covid-19

Physical activity offers significant mental health and social wellbeing benefits but social distancing and quarantine requirements during the pandemic along with disparities in access to parks and other urban green spaces limited the ability of some to pursue outdoor activities like recreational walking, jogging, or hiking. This paper asks: (1) how access to different types of urban green space varies by race and income, (2) how green space usage changed, and (3) how greenspace usage impacted mental health during the early phase of the pandemic. Using data from a household survey as well as anonymized GPS data generated by mobile devices, we explore these question in Richmond, Virginia. At the pandemic's onset, visits to green spaces declined regionally, but increased for low-income groups as a proportion of all visits. Structural equation modeling results suggest that mental health was directly influenced by social cohesion and race, with evidence of an indirect effect of greenspace usage on mental health through its impact on social cohesion. Social cohesion's effect on mental health was positive while respondents who identified as White were less likely to report positive mental health. We also find a strong, positive effect of greenspace use and satisfaction on social cohesion.

Leisure with dogs in the UK: the importance of shared outdoor leisure spaces highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Shared outdoor leisure spaces (SOLS) such as parks, recreation grounds, woodlands, public footpaths, and beaches provide mental, physical, and social well-being benefits for multiple users including many people with their dogs. This study explores the importance of SOLS for dog guardians, which was highlighted during the UK’s first COVID-19 restrictions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with dog guardians (n = 34). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. Five themes were generated: one related to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions; two related to the motivators to visit, namely human intrinsic motivation and dog well-being benefits; and two related to the importance of SOLS as valuable community amenities and as places that provide opportunities for social interaction. Overall, results found that these spaces are very important to the daily lives of dog guardians and highly valued leisure spaces. These findings provide insights for stakeholders engaged in designing, managing, preserving, and promoting these spaces.

Citizen Sensing within Urban Greenspaces: Exploring Human Wellbeing Interactions in Deprived Communities of Glasgow

The relationship between urban greenspaces and the benefits to psychological, social, and physical aspects of human wellbeing are important to study, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas and underrepresented communities. This interaction was theorized, analyzed, and measured in this paper through the transactional paradigm and operationalized through the use of a volunteer geographic information questionnaire, SoftGIS, which activated the urban greenspace–human wellbeing interaction through its map-based data collection. Over 450 unique place-based relationships were statistically analyzed within the Greater Glasgow Urban Region of Paisley, Scotland, a vulnerable community. This study revealed that multiple components of human wellbeing are supported through interactions with urban greenspaces. The Paisley region’s respondents visited greenspaces, generally, and most often to receive psychological benefits such as reduction of stress and mental relaxation through interactions which included sitting and relaxing in quiet spaces, enjoying natural surroundings, and viewing nature and wildlife. The physical and social wellbeing benefits were not as frequent in these urban greenspace interactions but were distinctly present. The results imply pathways towards management and multifunctional greenspace design responses in urbanizing regions and indicate strategies for public policy, human health, and urban planning, which deliver wellbeing benefits to communities.

The ambivalence of independent mobility: Balancing perceived risks and expected benefits of walking to school in inner-city neighborhoods

Drawing on two Southern California neighborhoods, this paper assesses children’s perceptions of the risks of walking to school in urban and low-income communities of color, balanced against the expected benefits of child independent mobility. Quantitatively-estimated relationships between children’s travel modes and environmental observations show that those who walk to school – especially those who walk alone – exhibit heightened environmental perceptions at granular levels. They identify more negative aspects of the built environment (both social and physical) than those who are driven, suggesting they feel more vulnerable along their school routes. They also make more observations of the built environment in aggregate, suggesting that walking – an interactive mode of travel – confers greater spatial awareness. To maximize the psychological, cognitive, and social well-being benefits that child pedestrians can accrue from their experiences in inner-city settings, measures mitigating neighborhood risks are a necessary complement to existing traffic safety-oriented policies.

Linking human wellbeing and urban greenspaces: Applying the SoftGIS tool for analyzing human wellbeing interaction in Helsinki, Finland

This article reviews a study into the relationships between greenspaces and the benefits to psychological, social, and physical aspects of human wellbeing achieved through interaction in the Helsinki urban region in Finland. This relationship is theorized, analyzed, and measured through the transactional paradigm of affordance theory and is operationalized through the use of a public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) questionnaire, SoftGIS, which activated the urban greenspace–human wellbeinginteraction throughits map-based data collection. Over 1800 unique place–based relationships were statistically analyzed. Findings revealed that Helsinki’s greenspaces provided, overall, mostly physical and social wellbeing benefits; the psychological benefits such as reduction in stress and mental relaxation were not as frequent in these urban greenspace interactions. The results indicate multiple aspects of human wellbeing are supported by interaction with urban greenspaces of varying characteristics within the region but the urban greenspaces which provided the most human wellbeing benefits included large size, woodland typology, moderately maintained with loose or ‘wild’ vegetation, and few amenities such as benches and structures. The study’s implications include urban planning, public policy, and human health as well as insight into the multifunctional design and strategic management of greenspaces in urbanizing regions to provide continued and improved ecosystem services and benefits to humans and nature.

Cultural Greenspaces: Synthesizing Knowledge and Experience in Nova Scotia’s African-Canadian Communities through Participatory Research and SoftGIS

Greenspaces are integral components of communities and provide numerous benefits. However, human development threatens these spaces, particularly in communities of color where histories of racial injustice persist and environmental vulnerabilities remain. A step towards preventing the loss of important cultural greenspaces is documenting knowledge and experience. This research employed community-based participatory techniques to study the relationship between the landscape and African-Canadian communities around Preston, Nova Scotia, the oldest and largest in Canada. Community-directed meetings created collaborative-based knowledge about perceptions surrounding land use change while identifying valued greenspaces. This paper studies the relationships between the community’s greenspaces and the benefits to psychological, social, and physical aspects of human wellbeing. This relationship is operationalized through the use of a public participation geographic information system (PPGIS), SoftGIS, which activates the greenspace–human wellbeing relationship through interaction and its map-based survey data collection. Results indicate residents predominately visited greenspaces near a church or community center for social wellbeing benefits to interact with neighbors and friends, to cookout, or to bring children outside. This research contributes to a greater understanding of the Preston area’s greenspace identification and qualification, resident behavior, and cultural perspectives to inform strategies and goals for engaging government agencies surrounding policy and land use planning. This research illustrates frameworks for improving building capacity and promoting racial equity within the urbanization process in other communities.

Comparing Ground Tire Rubber, Styrene-Butadyene-Styrene, and GTR-SBS Hybrids as Asphalt Binder Modifiers

This technical note evaluated hybrid asphalt binders modified with a combination of styrene-butadyene-styrene (SBS) and postconsumer ground tire rubber (GTR). These hybrid blends were evaluated in laboratory mixture experiments against more traditionally modified binder using either SBS or GTR. Mechanical properties measured during laboratory experiments were supplemented with a literature review, followed by a discussion of trade-offs between these modification options within the context of a sustainability triple bottom line of environment, economics, and social well-being. This technical note also discussed test sections containing hybrid binders and how some state departments of transportation have incorporated hybrid binders into their specifications. Overall, this work suggests that performance leans toward SBS, sustainability leans toward GTR, economics sometimes leans toward GTR, and social well-being benefits from consideration of all these factors simultaneously. A hybrid binder containing 1%–2% SBS and 3%–8% GTR should allow for high-temperature grading increases and the use of GTR in a wider range of mix types than have historical approaches.

Interdependence in active mobility adoption: Joint modeling and motivational spillover in walking, cycling and bike-sharing

Active mobility offers an array of physical, emotional, and social well-being benefits. However, with the proliferation of the sharing economy, new nonmotorized means of transport are entering the fold, complementing some existing mobility options while competing with others. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the adoption of three active travel modes—namely walking, cycling, and bikesharing—in a joint modeling framework. The analysis is based on an adaptation of the stages of change framework, which originates from the health behavior sciences. Multivariate ordered probit modeling drawing on U.S. survey data provides well-needed insights into individuals’ preparedness to adopt multiple active modes as a function of personal, neighborhood, and psychosocial factors. The research suggests three important findings. (1) The joint model structure confirms interdependence among different active mobility choices. The strongest complementarity is found for walking and cycling adoption. (2) Each mode has a distinctive adoption path with either three or four separate stages. We discuss the implications of derived stage-thresholds and plot adoption contours for selected scenarios. (3) Psychological and neighborhood variables generate more coupling among active modes than individual and household factors. Specifically, identifying strongly with active mobility aspirations, experiences with multimodal travel, possessing better navigational skills, along with supportive local community norms are the factors that appear to drive the joint adoption decisions. This study contributes to the understanding of how decisions within the same functional domain are related and help to design policies that promote active mobility by identifying positive spillovers and joint determinants.

Forest and Wellbeing: Bridging Medical and Forest Research for Effective Forest-Based Initiatives

Research Highlights: This review gives an overview of existing literature on the emerging topic of human wellbeing-forest contact nexus and provides a preliminary framework linking forests to wellbeing by highlighting key variables affecting this relationship. Background and Objectives: Existing literature reveals the psychological, physiological and social wellbeing benefits of contact with forest ecosystems; however, the role of forests in this relationship remains largely unexplored. The objectives of this review are twofold: (i) to provide an overview of the contributions of forest experiences to human wellbeing and the related interplay with forest ecosystems and (ii) to identify knowledge gaps to inform future research and systematize information available for forest managers and planners to support the development of effective forest-based initiatives. Materials and Methods: A scoping review was performed with a five-phase method integrating a systematic approach on Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed databases and snowball search. Studies were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical method. Results: Overall, 93 papers were included in the review. These are mainly from health-related sciences providing limited information for forest managers, planners and practitioners. Four main underlying variables of the forest-wellbeing relationship are identified: interaction, forest features, sensorial dimension of the forest and individual traits and reactions. Conclusions: Forest-based initiatives provide good opportunities for supporting public health and time spent in contact with forests seems to have a “health-bonus”. Whether and to what extent forest management can contribute to this is still poorly investigated. There is the need to better study causal relationships between specific forest features, type of interactions, frequency and “dose” of experiences, individual reactions and needs and wellbeing effects to maximize benefits from forest-based initiatives.

Examining group walks in nature and multiple aspects of well-being: A large-scale study

Abstract Purpose: Outdoor walking groups can facilitate interaction with nature, social interaction, and physical activity, yet little is known about their efficacy in promoting mental, emotional, and social well-being. National group walk programs are especially underevaluated for these outcomes. The present study sought to identify the mental, emotional, and social well-being benefits from participating in group walks in nature. Design: Drawing on an evaluation of the Walking for Health program in England, a longitudinal study investigated the mental, emotional, and social well-being of individuals who did (Nature Group Walkers) and did not (Non-Group Walkers) attend group walks in nature. Both groups were statistically matched using propensity score matching (n=1,516). Between-group t tests and multiple regressions were performed to analyze the influence of nature-based group walks on depression, perceived stress, negative affect, positive affect, mental well-being, and social support. Findings: Group ...

The Association Between the Fear of Crime, and Mental and Physical Wellbeing in New Zealand

Researchers have provided clear evidence that the fear of crime can lead to various mental health-related issues including anxiety and psychological distress. However, studies on the effects of fear of crime on physical health are limited. Adding to and extending this literature, we evaluated the association between fear of crime and mental and physical health outcomes in a new setting (New Zealand) and at a national scale. As an added contribution to the literature, we examined whether the fear of crime is independently associated with mental and physical wellbeing, regardless of neighbourhood crime rates. Using data from the New Zealand General Social Survey, the 2006 census and the New Zealand Police, we fitted linear and two-level hierarchical linear models regression models to assess the impact of fear of crime on mental and physical health, at varying stages of individual and area-level confounder adjustment. Even after adjusting for a number of individual- and area-level factors that are related to social inequalities in health in the country, a significant effect of increased fear of crime on lower mental and physical wellbeing was detected. We did not, however, detect significant independent effects for neighbourhood crime rates for either outcome. Our findings indicate that fear of crime, rather than recorded crime rates, was associated with detrimental mental and physical health outcomes. As such, efforts to not only reduce crime but perceived risk of crime could yield public health and social wellbeing benefits.

Reprint of “Community, cooperation and conflict: Negotiating the social well-being benefits of urban greenspace experiences”

The positive benefits of urban greenspaces for human health and well-being are widely recognised. While much intellectual effort has gone into identifying and cataloguing the environmental characteristics of places, spaces and landscapes associated with particular health outcomes, less well understood are the social dimensions through which everyday engagements with such greenspaces are framed and put into practice, and interactions between these dimensions. This article reports on preliminary findings from ethnographic research in two areas of Dundee, UK. We used mobile and participatory visual methods with greenspace users in order to investigate their everyday experiences and engagements with local greenspaces, and to understand how meanings associated with use translate (or not) into well-being benefits. The research found that experiences of greenspace – and thus any well-being benefits produced through engagement – are inescapably social and mediated through people's positioning in relation to particular social groups. Moreover there is not one social context or social order, but many, and hence meanings are contested. This prompts for more attention to be paid to how well-being from greenspace can be delivered in ways meaningful to different people and groups. We conclude that social relations and social health (as well as individual mental and physical health) need to be more thoroughly explored in relation to greenspace and its management practices.

Community, cooperation and conflict: Negotiating the social well-being benefits of urban greenspace experiences

The positive benefits of urban greenspaces for human health and well-being are widely recognised. While much intellectual effort has gone into identifying and cataloguing the environmental characteristics of places, spaces and landscapes associated with particular health outcomes, less well understood are the social dimensions through which everyday engagements with such greenspaces are framed and put into practice, and interactions between these dimensions. This article reports on preliminary findings from ethnographic research in two areas of Dundee, UK. We used mobile and participatory visual methods with greenspace users in order to investigate their everyday experiences and engagements with local greenspaces, and to understand how meanings associated with use translate (or not) into well-being benefits. The research found that experiences of greenspace – and thus any well-being benefits produced through engagement – are inescapably social and mediated through people's positioning in relation to particular social groups. Moreover there is not one social context or social order, but many, and hence meanings are contested. This prompts for more attention to be paid to how well-being from greenspace can be delivered in ways meaningful to different people and groups. We conclude that social relations and social health (as well as individual mental and physical health) need to be more thoroughly explored in relation to greenspace and its management practices.

‘Doing Something Positive’: Volunteers’ Experiences of the Well-Being Benefits Derived from Practical Conservation Activities in Nature

There is a strong tradition in Britain of volunteering involving a wide range of activities and organisations. Increasingly volunteering is seen as a way of benefiting health and building sustainable communities. In a study in 2007 we aimed to address the research questions: what are the motivations for, barriers to, and benefits of formal practical environmental volunteering for those individuals involved? Qualitative and quantitative data collection was undertaken while spending a day each with ten volunteer groups as they undertook their practical conservation activities. In this paper we focus primarily on the physical, mental and social well-being benefits that volunteers derived from their activities. Our research involved 88 people volunteering regularly in a range of places from scenic natural landscapes to urban green spaces in northern England and southern Scotland. Respondents described a range of benefits they gained from their involvement including improved fitness, keeping alert, meeting others and reducing stress levels. We suggest that practical environmental volunteering has flexibility in the types of activity available and the time scale in which activities are undertaken and therefore can provide a range of physical, social and mental well-being benefits to people with very differing abilities and from different socio-economic backgrounds.

Evaluating beauty care provided by the hospital to women suffering from breast cancer: qualitative aspects

Goals of workCancer patients are offered more and more access to beauty care during their stay in the hospital. This kind of intervention has not been evaluated yet. Primary objective of our research was to determine what type of evaluation strategy to be implemented (as a supportive care with quality of life and/or medical benefits; as a service providing immediate comfort); intermediate objective was to investigate in scientific terms (psychological, sociological) the experience of beauty care by patients.Patients and methodsSixty patients (all users of beauty care provided by hospital, 58 female, most of them treated for breast cancer, two male, mean age 53 years) and 11 nurses and physicians, from four French cancer centres were included. We used direct observation and semi-structured interviews, conducted by a sociologist and a psychologist; different types of beauty care were concerned.ResultsAll the interviewed patients were satisfied. Patients appreciated acquiring savoir-faire on how to use make-up and on personal image enhancement. Psychological and social well-being benefits were mentioned. The beauty care was not alleged to be reducing the side effects of the treatments, but it had helped patients to accept or bear the burden of them. Providing care beyond that which is directly curative was appreciated by the patients as a sign that they were treated as a “whole” person.ConclusionThe survey brings valuable clues concerning beauty care experience by cancer patients; it suggests the relevance of quantitative evaluation of the immediate and long-term effects on the quality of life.

Investigating links between transport disadvantage, social exclusion and well-being in Melbourne—Preliminary results

This paper summarises preliminary results of a study to extend knowledge associated with social exclusion and transport by quantifying social and behavioural implications of lack of public transport and the nature of the social well-being benefits associated with improving services. Metropolitan results are outlined including methodologies exploring the distribution of transport disadvantage in Melbourne, Australia and how this relates to public transport services. An exploration of high car ownership for groups on low income is also presented. Gaps in coverage of public transport are identified and future research outlined.