Individual and environmental factors associated with green exercise in urban and suburban areas

The relationship between the environment and physical activity-related motivational trajectories

The study explores motivational profiles for physical activity, using self-determination theory's full continuum of motivational regulations, and examines their stability over three months. Furthermore, it investigates whether physical environment and community characteristics are associated with transitioning between profiles, as well as the sociodemographic differences in these motivational transition pathways. Data were collected from 305 U.S. residents at three time points. The three profiles-'low in motivation' (23.5 % of the sample in wave 1), 'self-determined motivation' (41.4 %), and 'ambivalent motivation' (35.0 %)-were relatively stable. Staying in the low-in-motivation profile was negatively associated with being active in social settings, community support, perceived environmental restorativeness, and availability of physical activity opportunities. Having a higher education and income, being male, employed, married or in a partnership, and identifying as White were associated with being in a motivationally positive profile in the last wave of the study. These profiles reported higher activity and life satisfaction.

The association between green space around schools, screen time for entertainment, and adolescent depressive symptoms: A nationwide study from China

BACKGROUND

Natural green environments are beneficial to people's mental health, while too much screen time may be harmful to adolescents' mental health. However, it is not clear how green spaces and screen time affect mental health together in adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 22,868 adolescents were recruited from October to December 2021 in eight cities in China, through multistage cluster sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to investigate adolescents' depressive symptoms, and the Normalised Vegetation Index for the 200m, 500m and 1000m buffer zones around the school represents the green cover around the school. We used binary logistic regression to analyse the association between green space, screen time and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

In fully adjusted models, the highest quartile of NDVI in the 200m, 500m and 1000m buffer zones around the school was a protective factor for depressive symptoms. For less than 2 h of recreational screen time, the highest quartiles of the NDVI and the association with depressive symptoms were negatively correlated for the 200m, 500m and 1000m buffer zones (NDVI200: 0.904(0.848-0.964)), NDVI500: 0.863(0.808-0.921), NDVI1000: 0.862(0.808-0.920)). The highest quartiles of NDVI in all buffers were not associated with depressive symptoms when the screen time was >2 h. The association between green space and depressive symptoms at lower recreational screen time was observed to be stronger in the group of adolescents with a lower family economic status (NDVI200: 0.780(0.695-0.876), NDVI500: 0.838(0.748-0.938), NDVI1000: 0.783(0.698-0.879)). No potential gender differences were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

For adolescents with less than 2 h of recreational screen time per day, the greenery around the school had a protective effect on their mental health, especially for adolescents from economically disadvantaged families. Green spaces around schools are significant in improving health inequities.

Local environment perceived in daily life and urban green and blue space visits: Uncovering key factors for different age groups to access ecosystem services

Inequality in access to green and blue spaces is a major issue in the field of environmental justice. Various factors significantly influence visitations to these spaces, including residential, commuting, and shopping areas. However, studies have mainly focused on residential environments. Analyzing the coupling of environmental and socioeconomic factors, including age, income, and childhood experience, and examining the direct and indirect effects of these factors for different age groups are needed to better understand the detailed context of inequalities in access to ecosystem services. We conducted a questionnaire survey and analysis to address these needs in an urban setting. The results demonstrate that several land use categories (i.e., agricultural lands in residential areas, grasslands near shopping areas, and deciduous forests near commuting destinations) positively correlated with visitation frequency, suggesting the lack thereof may be the cause of access inequalities. In particular, the perimeter per unit area of some land cover types, which shows the complexity of the form of each land cover category, was found to be a significant factor. We identified inequality in nature experience to be the key factor correlated with inequality in nature visits among the young age group. For the middle-aged and old age groups, nature-relatedness was positively correlated with visitation frequency. Proper design of the local environment, such as through land use planning, can be an effective measure for all age groups. For instance, long-bordered green areas in the Monsoon Asian region are an attractive traditional landscape, with high accessibility and a comfortable thermal environment. The key factors for each age group should be considered in spatial design and inclusive information-sharing to reduce inequality in access to ecosystem services.

Physical activity habits and associated factors in open green spaces of young adults: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between green space usage habits and physical activity in young adults.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional and correlational design.

SAMPLE

The study was conducted with 455 young adults who were studying at a faculty between February and May 2023.

MEASUREMENTS

The research data were collected face-to-face using a form prepared by the researchers in line with the literature and tested before collection. The form includes questions about green space use habits, green exercise levels, and leisure time activities in green spaces.

RESULTS

The probability of male young adults to do physical activity in green spaces compared to women aOR: 2.4 (95% CI: 1.4-3.9, p =  .001), the probability of young adults with higher family income to do physical activity in green spaces than those with low-income aOR: 5.4 (95% CI: 2.7-10.8, p <  .001), the probability of young adults who do physical activity in indoor spaces to do physical activity in green spaces compared to those who do not aOR: 2.4 (95% CI: 1.5-3.6, p <  .001), 500 m away from the green space aOR: 2.8 (95% CI: 1.6-4.9, p <  .001) is more likely for those living farther away to engage in physical activity in green spaces than those living closer than 100 m.

CONCLUSIONS

Young adults' gender, income, distance to green spaces, and sports activities under various conditions have an impact on physical activity in open green spaces.

Effect Modifications of Overhead-View and Eye-Level Urban Greenery on Heat-Mortality Associations: Small-Area Analyses Using Case Time Series Design and Different Greenery Measurements

BACKGROUND

The protective effect of urban greenery from adverse heat impacts remains inconclusive. Existing inconsistent findings could be attributed to the different estimation techniques used.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated how effect modifications of urban greenery on heat-mortality associations vary when using different greenery measurements reflecting overhead-view and eye-level urban greenery.

METHODS

We collected meteorological and daily mortality data for 286 territory planning units between 2005 and 2018 in Hong Kong. Three greenery measurements were extracted for each unit: a) the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from Landsat remote sensing images, b) the percentage of greenspace based on land use data, and c) eye-level street greenery from street view images via a deep learning technique. Time-series analyses were performed using the case time series design with a linear interaction between the temperature term and each of the three greenery measurements. Effect modifications were also estimated for different age groups, sex categories, and cause-specific diseases.

RESULTS

Higher mortality risks were associated with both moderate and extreme heat, with relative risks (RRs) of 1.022 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.044) and 1.045 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.079) at the 90th and 99th percentiles of temperatures relative to the minimum mortality temperature (MMT). Lower RRs were observed in greener areas whichever of the three greenery measurements was used, but the disparity of RRs between areas with low and high levels of urban greenery was more apparent when using eye-level street greenery as the index at high temperatures (99th percentile relative to MMT), with RRs for low and high levels of greenery, respectively, of 1.096 (95% CI: 1.035, 1.161) and 0.985 (95% CI: 0.920, 1.055) for NDVI (p = 0.0193 ), 1.068 (95% CI: 1.021, 1.117) and 0.990 (95% CI: 0.906, 1.081) for the percentage of greenspace (p = 0.1338 ), and 1.103 (95% CI: 1.034, 1.177) and 0.943 (95% CI: 0.841, 1.057) for eye-level street greenery (p = 0.0186 ). Health discrepancies remained for nonaccidental mortality and cardiorespiratory diseases and were more apparent for older adults (≥ 65 years of age) and females.

DISCUSSION

This study provides new evidence that eye-level street greenery shows stronger associations with reduced heat-mortality risks compared with overhead-view greenery based on NDVI and percentage of greenspace. The effect modification of urban greenery tends to be amplified as temperatures rise and are more apparent in older adults and females. Heat mitigation strategies and health interventions, in particular with regard to accessible and visible greenery, are needed for helping heat-sensitive subpopulation groups in coping with extreme heat. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12589.

Nature contact and general health: Testing multiple serial mediation pathways with data from adults in 18 countries

The role of neighbourhood nature in promoting good health is increasingly recognised in policy and practice, but consistent evidence for the underlying mechanisms is lacking. Heterogeneity in exposure methods, outcome measures, and population characteristics, little exploration of recreational use or the role of different types of green or blue space, and multiple separate mediation models in previous studies have limited our ability to synthesise findings and draw clear conclusions. We examined multiple pathways linking different types of neighbourhood nature with general health using a harmonised international sample of adults. Using cross-sectional survey data from 18 countries (n = 15,917), we developed a multigroup path model to test theorised pathways, controlling for sociodemographic variables. We tested the possibility that neighbourhood nature (e.g. greenspace, inland bluespace, and coastal bluespace) would be associated with general health through lower air pollution exposure, greater physical activity attainment, more social contact, and higher subjective well-being. However, our central prediction was that associations between different types of neighbourhood nature and general health would largely be serially mediated by recent visit frequency to corresponding environment types, and, subsequently, physical activity, social contact, and subjective well-being associated with these frequencies. Several subsidiary analyses assessed the robustness of the results to alternative model specifications as well as effect modification by sociodemographics. Consistent with this prediction, there was statistical support for eight of nine potential serial mediation pathways via visit frequency which held for a range of alternative model specifications. Effect modification by financial strain, sex, age, and urbanicity altered some associations but did not necessarily support the idea that nature reduced health inequalities. The results demonstrate that across countries, theorised nature-health linkages operate primarily through recreational contact with natural environments. This provides arguments for greater efforts to support use of local green/blue spaces for health promotion and disease prevention.

Urban green space and mental health among people living alone: The mediating roles of relational and collective restoration in an 18-country sample

Rates of living alone, especially in more urbanised areas, are increasing across many industrialised countries, with associated increases in feelings of loneliness and poorer mental health. Recent studies have suggested that access to nature (e.g. parks and green spaces) can reduce the stressors associated with loneliness, partly through providing opportunities to nurture personal relationships (relational restoration) and engage in normative community activities (collective restoration). Such associations might vary across different household compositions and socio-demographic or geographical characteristics, but these have not been thoroughly tested. Using data collected across 18 countries/territories in 2017-2018, we grouped urban respondents into those living alone (n = 2062) and those living with a partner (n = 6218). Using multigroup path modelling, we tested whether the associations between neighbourhood greenspace coverage (1-km-buffer from home) and mental health are sequentially mediated by: (a) visits to greenspace; and subsequently (b) relationship and/or community satisfaction, as operationalisations of relational and collective restoration, respectively. We also tested whether any indirect associations varied among subgroups of respondents living alone. Analyses showed that visiting green space was associated with greater mental well-being and marginally lower odds of using anxiety/depression medication use indirectly, mediated via both relationship and community satisfaction. These indirect associations were equally strong among respondents living alone and those living with a partner. Neighbourhood green space was, additionally, associated with more visits among respondents living with a partner, whereas among those living alone, this was sensitive to the green space metric. Within subgroups of people living alone, few overall differences were found. Some indirect pathways were, nevertheless, stronger in males, under 60-year-olds, those with no financial strain, and residents in warmer climates. In conclusion, supporting those living alone, as well as those living with a partner, to more frequently access their local greenspaces could help improve mental health via promoting relational and collective restoration.

Is spatial exposure to heritage associated with visits to heritage and to mental health? A cross-sectional study using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS)

OBJECTIVES

Existing research highlights the beneficial nature of heritage engagement for mental health, but engagement varies geographically and socially, and few studies explore spatial exposure (ie, geographic availability) to heritage and heritage visits. Our research questions were 'does spatial exposure to heritage vary by area income deprivation?', 'is spatial exposure to heritage linked to visiting heritage?' and 'is spatial exposure to heritage linked to mental health?'. Additionally, we explored whether local heritage is associated with mental health regardless of the presence of green space.

DESIGN

Data were collected from January 2014 to June 2015 via the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) wave 5. Our study is cross-sectional.

SETTING

UKHLS data were either collected via face-to-face interview or online questionnaire.

PARTICIPANTS

30 431 adults (16+ years) (13 676 males, 16 755 females). Participants geocoded to Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) 'neighbourhood' and 'English Index of Multiple Deprivation' 2015 income score.

MAIN EXPOSURES/OUTCOME MEASURES

LSOA-level heritage exposure and green space exposure (ie, population and area densities); heritage site visit in the past year (outcome, binary: no, yes); mental distress (outcome, General Health Questionnaire-12, binary: less distressed 0-3, more distressed 4+).

RESULTS

Heritage varied by deprivation, the most deprived areas (income quintile (Q)1: 1.8) had fewer sites per 1000 population than the least deprived (Q5: 11.1) (p<0.01). Compared with those with no LSOA-level heritage, those with heritage exposure were more likely to have visited a heritage site in the past year (OR: 1.12 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.22)) (p<0.01). Among those with heritage exposure, visitors to heritage had a lower predicted probability of distress (0.171 (95% CI 0.162 to 0.179)) than non-visitors (0.238 (95% CI 0.225 to 0.252)) (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our research contributes to evidence for the well-being benefits of heritage and is highly relevant to the government's levelling-up heritage strategy. Our findings can feed into schemes to tackle inequality in heritage exposure to improve both heritage engagement and mental health.

Investigation on urban greenspace in relation to sociodemographic factors and health inequity based on different greenspace metrics in 3 US urban communities

BACKGROUND

Study results are inconclusive regarding how access to greenspace differs by sociodemographic status potentially due to lack of consideration of varying dimensions of greenspace.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated how provision of greenspace by sociodemographic status varies by greenspace metrics reflecting coverage and accessibility of greenspace.

METHODS

We used vegetation levels measured by Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), percent of greenspace, percent tree cover, percent tree cover along walkable roads, and percent of people living ≤500 m of a park entrance (park accessibility). We considered data for 2008-2013 in Census block groups in 3 US regions: New Haven, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; and Durham, North Carolina. We examined geographical distribution of greenspace metrics and their associations with indicators of income, education, linguistic isolation, race/ethnicity, and age. We used logistic regression to examine associations between these greenspace metrics and age-standardized mortality controlling for sociodemographic indicators.

RESULTS

Which region had the highest greenspace depended on the greenspace metric used. An interquartile range (33.6%) increase in low-income persons was associated with a 6.2% (95% CI: 3.1, 9.3) increase in park accessibility, whereas it was associated with 0.03 (95% CI: -0.035, -0.025) to 7.3% (95% CI: -8.7, -5.9) decreases in other greenspace metrics. A 15.5% increase in the lower-education population was associated with a 2.1% increase (95% CI: -0.3%, 4.6%) in park accessibility but decreases with other greenspace metrics (0.02 to 5.0%). These results were consistent across the 3 study areas. The odds of mortality rate more than the 75th percentile rate were inversely associated with all greenspace metrics except for annual average EVI (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 0.43, 3.79) and park accessibility (OR 1.40, 95% CI: 0.52, 3.75).

SIGNIFICANCE

Environmental justice concerns regarding greenspace differ by the form of natural resources, and pathways of health benefits can differ by form of greenspace and socioeconomic status within communities.

IMPACT STATEMENT

Comparisons of exposure to greenspace between different greenspace metrics should be incorporated in decision-making within local contexts.

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

BACKGROUND

Exposure to natural environments is thought to be beneficial for human health, but the evidence is inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether exposure to green and blue spaces in urban environments is associated with mental and physical health in Finland.

METHODS

The Helsinki Capital Region Environmental Health Survey was conducted in 2015-2016 in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa in Finland (n=7321). Cross-sectional associations of the amounts of residential green and blue spaces within 1 km radius around the respondent's home (based on the Urban Atlas 2012), green and blue views from home and green space visits with self-reported use of psychotropic (anxiolytics, hypnotics and antidepressants), antihypertensive and asthma medication were examined using logistic regression models. Indicators of health behaviour, traffic-related outdoor air pollution and noise and socioeconomic status (SES) were used as covariates, the last of these also as a potential effect modifier.

RESULTS

Amounts of residential green and blue spaces or green and blue views from home were not associated with medications. However, the frequency of green space visits was associated with lower odds of using psychotropic medication (OR=0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.82 for 3-4 times/week; 0.78, 0.63 to 0.96 for ≥5 times/week) and antihypertensive (0.64, 0.52 to 0.78; 0.59, 0.48 to 0.74, respectively) and asthma (0.74, 0.58 to 0.94; 0.76, 0.59 to 0.99, respectively) medication use. The observed associations were attenuated by body mass index, but no consistent interactions with SES indicators were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Frequent green space visits, but not the amounts of residential green or blue spaces, or green and blue views from home, were associated with less frequent use of psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication in urban environments.

Neighborhood factors associated with leisure-time physical activity in a Brazilian city

The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between environmental variables and leisure-time physical activity levels in an adult population of a medium-sized city in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 965 adults (20–59 years). Individual, socioeconomic, demographic and behavioral data were obtained through a population-based survey. Environmental data were collected through direct observation and subsequently georeferenced. The outcome variable was leisure-time physical activity level, dichotomized as insufficiently active (&lt;150 min/week) and active (≥150 min/week). Physical activity-related facilities were categorized as public or private, and food outlets as healthy, unhealthy or mixed. Monthly per capita income and crime rate by census tract were used to categorize the social environment. Statistical analysis was performed using binary logistic regression (generalized estimating equation models). A direct association was found between the availability of public (adjusted OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.44–3.25) and private (adjusted OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.02–1.44) physical activity facilities in the census tract and leisure-time physical activity. A greater availability of mixed food establishments was associated with higher leisure-time physical activity levels (adjusted OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.004–1.22). Environmental characteristics can contribute together to leisure-time physical activity and could be the focus of policies aimed at promoting physical activity in middle-income countries.

Is altitude a determinant of the health benefits of nature exposure? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Nature exposure is a widely accepted option for promoting public health owing to the recent surge of scientific evidence. However, the actual settings to facilitate this initiative is yet to be extensively reviewed. In this systematic review, we have aimed to provide an up-to-date summary of interventional studies investigating the psycho-physiological effects of forests and urban forests, including details on their physical settings, and investigate an effect-modifying role of altitude and summarize data on the magnitude and shape of the association.

Methods

A keyword search using five electronic academic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus) was conducted to identify relevant articles published in English from the inception year to the end of February 2022. The methodological quality was evaluated using the ROBINS-I or ROB2 tool, depending on the study design. Meta-regression and random effects model were jointly used to examine the relationship between altitude and health outcomes.

Results

We included 27 eligible studies and 31 cases extracted from 19 studies were used for the meta-analysis. In the meta-regression, we observed a non-linear association between altitude and psycho-physiological effects. Altitude had a positive quadratic association with anxiety (p < 0.000, adjusted R ² = 96.79%), depression (p < 0.000, adjusted R ² = 98.78%), and fatigue (p < 0.000, adjusted R ² = 64.74%) alleviating effects. Conversely, altitude demonstrated a negative non-linear association with the blood pressure-lowering effect (p = 0.009, adjusted R ² = 32.83%). Additionally, the thermal index (THI) and illuminance (lx) levels were significantly associated with effect sizes of psychological restoration.

Discussion

This review provides moderate-certainty evidence for an effect-modifying role of altitude. The meta-regression results suggested the optimal and minimal altitude ranges for psychological restoration and physiological relaxation, respectively. Despite some limitations, the study findings provide a significant basis for utilizing altitude, which is easily accessible and simple, to promote the health benefits of nature-based initiatives.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022310894, identifier: CRD42022310894.

Time Trends and Sociodemographic Inequalities in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors Among Brazilian Adults: National Surveys from 2003 to 2019

BACKGROUND

The authors analyzed time trends and sociodemographic inequalities in different physical activity and sedentary behavior domains between 2003 and 2019.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of data from 5 cross-sectional Brazilian epidemiological surveys (World Health Survey-2003, National Household Sample Survey-2008/2015, and Brazilian Health Survey-2013/2019) conducted among a nationally representative sample of Brazilian adults. The authors used data on different domains of physical activity (leisure, commute, total transport, and total physical activity) and sedentary behavior (TV viewing and other types of screens) that were available in the different surveys. Gender, age group, country region, ethnicity, type of area and city, and quintiles of income and educational achievement were used as sociodemographic correlates.

RESULTS

The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity increased over time (2008: 7.0% vs 2019: 26.5%). There was also an increased trend of social inequality in leisure-time physical activity. A trend of reduction was observed for active commuting (2008: 35.0% vs 2019: 21.8%), while total transport physical activity was stable (2013: 49.5% vs 2019: 49.6%). Directions of findings were opposite for sedentary behavior, with reduced trend for >3 hours per day of TV viewing (2008: 34.8% vs 2019: 21.8%) and increased trend for >3 hours per day of other types of screen time (2008: 6.4% vs 2019: 22.2%).

CONCLUSION

A positive trend exists in leisure-time physical activity, but there was also an increase in social inequalities for physical activity in Brazil.

Positive Mental Health of Finnish People Living Alone: The Role of Circumstantial Factors and Leisure-Time Activities

Living alone has become more common across Europe. Past research has consistently identified living alone as a risk factor for poor mental health while evidence on the positive dimension(s) of mental health has been scarce. Positive mental health has been associated with rather stable circumstantial factors, such as socio-economic characteristics and social relationships, and day-to-day activities in the form of leisure participation, in general populations. In this study, our objective was to assess these relationships among people living alone. We specified a structural equation model in a random sample of Finnish people living alone (n = 884), with the circumstantial factors as (exogenous) explanatory variables, participation in various leisure activities as mediators, and positive mental health as the outcome. In the model, more frequent engagement in several leisure-time activities, including being in contact with family/friends and physical activity in nature, were positively associated with positive mental health. The circumstantial factors that most strongly explained both leisure participation and positive mental health were the number of friends, being in a relationship, and having no limiting illnesses. In conclusion, among Finnish people living alone, social and functional factors appear to be more strongly associated with leisure participation and positive mental health than socio-economic factors.

Walking in Your Culture: A Study of Culturally Sensitive Outdoor Walking Space for Chinese Elderly Immigrants

OBJECTIVES

This was a study conducted in Atlanta, GA, in the United States with Chinese elderly immigrants, examining the relationship between visual preference and motivation to walk in a particular outdoor space.

BACKGROUNDS

Outdoor walking promotes the well-being of older adults. However, their declined body functions impact their motivation to walk outside. For elderly immigrants living in a country with different cultural backgrounds from their homelands, it is important to find the ways to enhance their motivation of outdoor walking.

METHOD

Visual preference survey was conducted to assess preferences of first-generation Chinese elderly immigrants attending a care facility setting. Preferences included Chinese classical walking spaces or American modern walking spaces. The data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and factorial experiment analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 95 Chinese elderly immigrants gave valid responses to the visual preference survey. Survey results revealed that respondents had a high preference for Chinese classical walking spaces even though they had an average time of 26 years as a U.S. resident. Although the functions and purposes of the walking spaces caused safety and comfort concerns, the interaction effects of design style, design function, and design purpose illustrated that Chinese classical style had high effectiveness to promote outdoor walking of Chinese elderly immigrants.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the significance of culturally sensitive care environments in promoting outdoor walking for elderly Chinese immigrants. It also indicates that spaces designed with an assigned cultural style had higher attractiveness to older adults from the same assigned cultural background.

Adults' leisure-time physical activity and the neighborhood built environment: a contextual perspective

BACKGROUND

Context-free outcome measures, such as overall leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), are habitually applied to study the neighborhood built environment correlates of physical activity. This cross sectional study identifies and empirically tests potential methodological limitations related to the use of context-free measures and discusses how these may help in the interpretation of inconsistent associations between participation in moderate-to-vigorous LTPA and objectively measured neighborhood-level built environment attributes.

METHODS

We employ a public participation geographic information system (PPGIS), an advanced participatory mapping method, to study the spatial distribution of moderate-to-vigorous LTPA among adult urban Finnish residents (n 1322). Secondary sources of GIS land-use and sport facility data were used to disaggregate respondent-mapped LTPA by the behavioral context, such as indoor and outdoor sport facilities, green spaces, and other public open spaces. Associations between the use of the identified LTPA settings and a range of objectively measured neighborhood built environment attributes were studied with multilevel logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Disaggregated by behavioral context, we observed varied and partly opposite built environment correlates for LTPA. The use of indoor and outdoor sport facilities showed no significant associations with their neighborhood availability, but were significantly associated with personal-level attributes. By contrast, participation in LTPA in green and built public open space shared significant associations with access to and availability of neighborhood green space that persisted after controlling for personal-level covariates. Moreover, neighborhood distances up to 1600 m poorly captured participation in moderate-to-vigorous LTPA, as, on average, 40% of visits were located further from home. However, we found the immediate home environment to be an important LTPA setting for the least active participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that LTPA can be a highly heterogeneous measure regarding both the spatial distribution and the environmental correlates of behavioral contexts. The results show that context-free LTPA outcome measures yield inconsistent associations with built environment exposure variables, challenging the applicability of such measures in designing neighborhood-level built environment interventions.

MacIntyre T, Calogiuri G. Enable, Reconnect and Augment: A New ERA of Virtual Nature Research and Application

Being exposed to natural environments is associated with improved health and well-being, as these environments are believed to promote feelings of “being away” from everyday struggles, positive emotional reactions and stress reduction. Despite these positive effects, humanity is becoming increasingly more distanced from nature due to societal changes, such as increased urbanization and the reduced accessibility of natural environments. Technology is also partly to blame, as research suggests that people replace nature contact with increased screen time. In this cross-section between nature and technology, we find technological nature which is progressing towards a point where we may be capable of simulating exposure to real nature. Concerns have been raised regarding this technology, as it is feared it will replace real nature. However, research suggests that virtual nature may have a more positive impact on society than a mere replacement of real nature, and this review propose several areas where virtual nature may be a beneficial addition to actual nature (Enable), help people reconnect with the real natural world (Reconnect) and “boost” human-nature interactions (Augment). Based on the current research and theoretical framework, this review proposes guidelines for future research within these areas, with the aim of advancing the field by producing high quality research.

Natural Landscape, Infrastructure, and Health: The Physical Activity Implications of Urban Green Space Composition among the Elderly

Urban green spaces (UGS) have been linked with a series of benefits for the environment, and for the physical health and well-being of urban residents. This is of great importance in the context of the aging of modern societies. However, UGS have different forms and characteristics that can determine their utilization. Common elements in UGS such as the type of vegetation and the type of surface are surprisingly understudied in regard to their relationship with the type of activity undertaken in UGS. This paper aims to explore the relationship between landscape diversity and the type of surface with the time spent and the physical activity intensity performed by seniors. To do so, this study uses GPS tracking data in combination with accelerometer data gathered from 63 seniors residing in Barcelona, Spain. Results showed that senior participants spent little time inside the analyzed UGS and sedentary behaviors (SBs) were more common than physical activities (PAs). The presence of pavement surfaces positively influenced the total time spent in UGS while gravel surfaces were negatively associated with time spent in active behaviors. The provision of well-defined and maintained paved areas and paths are some key infrastructures to be considered when designing UGS for overall urban residents and, especially, when aiming to potentiate the access for senior visitors.