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Yeager R, Keith RJ, Riggs DW, Fleischer D, Browning MHEM, Ossola A, Walker KL, Hart JL, Srivastava S, Rai SN, Smith T, Bhatnagar A. Intra-neighborhood associations between residential greenness and blood pressure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:173788. [PMID: 38901580 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous investigations have reported that individuals living in greener neighborhoods have better cardiovascular health. It is unclear whether the effects reported at large geographic scales persist when examined at an intra-neighborhood level. The effects of greenness have not been thoroughly examined using high-resolution metrics of greenness exposure, and how they vary with spatial scales of assessment or participant characteristics. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of associations between blood pressure and multiple high-resolution measures of residential area greenness in spatially concentrated HEAL Study cohort of the Green Heart Project. We employed generalized linear models, accounting for individual-level covariates, to examine associations between different high-resolution measures of greenness and blood pressure among 667 participants in a 4 sq. mile contiguous neighborhood area in Louisville, KY. RESULTS In adjusted models, we observed significant inverse associations between residential greenness, measured by leaf area index (LAI), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) within 150-250 m and 500 m of homes, but not for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or grass cover. Weaker associations were also found with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Significant positive associations were observed between LAI and SBP among participants who reported being female, White, without obesity, non-exercisers, non-smokers, younger age, of lower income, and who had high nearby roadway traffic. We found few significant associations between grass cover and SBP, but an inverse association in those with obesity, but positive associations for those without obesity. CONCLUSIONS We found that leaf surface area of trees around participants home is strongly associated with lower blood pressure, with little association with grass cover. These effects varied with participant characteristics and spatial scales. More research is needed to test causative links between greenspace types and cardiovascular health and to develop population-, typology-, and place-based evidence to inform greening interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Yeager
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Rachel J Keith
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Daniel W Riggs
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Daniel Fleischer
- Hyphae Design Laboratory, 942 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94607, USA
| | - Matthew H E M Browning
- Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Sirrine 120B, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Alessandro Ossola
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis. PES-1238, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kandi L Walker
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Communication, University of Louisville, 310 Strickler Hall West, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Joy L Hart
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Department of Communication, University of Louisville, 310 Strickler Hall West, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Sanjay Srivastava
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Shesh N Rai
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Ted Smith
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Aruni Bhatnagar
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville. 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville, 302 E Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Zhou Y, Lu Y, Wei D, He S. Impacts of social deprivation on mortality and protective effects of greenness exposure in Hong Kong, 1999-2018: A spatiotemporal perspective. Health Place 2024; 87:103241. [PMID: 38599046 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Addressing health inequality is crucial for fostering healthy city development. However, there is a dearth of literature simultaneously investigating the effects of social deprivation and greenness exposure on mortality risks, as well as how greenness exposure may mitigate the adverse effect of social deprivation on mortality risks from a spatiotemporal perspective. Drawing on socioeconomic, remote sensing, and mortality record data, this study presents spatiotemporal patterns of social deprivation, population weighted greenness exposure, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Hong Kong. A Bayesian regression model was applied to investigate the impacts of social deprivation and greenness exposure on mortality and examine how socioeconomic inequalities in mortality may vary across areas with different greenness levels in Hong Kong from 1999 to 2018. We observed a decline in social deprivation (0.67-0.56), and an increase in greenness exposure (0.34-0.41) in Hong Kong during 1999-2018. Areas with high mortality gradually clustered in the Kowloon Peninsula and the northern regions of Hong Kong Island. Adverse impacts of social deprivation on all-cause mortality weakened in recent years (RR from 2009 to 2013: 1.103, 95%CI: 1.051-1.159, RR from 2014 to 2018: 1.041 95%CI: 0.950-1.139), while the protective impacts of greenness exposure consistently strengthened (RR from 1999 to 2003: 0.903, 95%CI: 0.827-0.984, RR from 2014 to 2018: 0.859, 95%CI: 0.763-0.965). Moreover, the adverse effects of social deprivation on mortality risks were found to be higher in areas with lower greenness exposure. These findings provide evidence of associations between social deprivation, greenness exposure, and mortality risks in Hong Kong over the past decades, and highlight the potential of greenness exposure to mitigate health inequalities. Our study provides valuable implications for policymakers to develop a healthy city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Zhou
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
| | - Di Wei
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Center of Urbanization, Wuhan, China.
| | - Shenjing He
- Department of Urban Planning and Design, Urban Systems Institute, And the Social Infrastructure for Equity and Wellbeing Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, China.
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Wedyan M, Saeidi-Rizi F. Assessing the Impact of Urban Environments on Mental Health and Perception Using Deep Learning: A Review and Text Mining Analysis. J Urban Health 2024; 101:327-343. [PMID: 38466494 PMCID: PMC11052760 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-024-00830-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how outdoor environments affect mental health outcomes is vital in today's fast-paced and urbanized society. Recently, advancements in data-gathering technologies and deep learning have facilitated the study of the relationship between the outdoor environment and human perception. In a systematic review, we investigate how deep learning techniques can shed light on a better understanding of the influence of outdoor environments on human perceptions and emotions, with an emphasis on mental health outcomes. We have systematically reviewed 40 articles published in SCOPUS and the Web of Science databases which were the published papers between 2016 and 2023. The study presents and utilizes a novel topic modeling method to identify coherent keywords. By extracting the top words of each research topic, and identifying the current topics, we indicate that current studies are classified into three areas. The first topic was "Urban Perception and Environmental Factors" where the studies aimed to evaluate perceptions and mental health outcomes. Within this topic, the studies were divided based on human emotions, mood, stress, and urban features impacts. The second topic was titled "Data Analysis and Urban Imagery in Modeling" which focused on refining deep learning techniques, data collection methods, and participants' variability to understand human perceptions more accurately. The last topic was named "Greenery and visual exposure in urban spaces" which focused on the impact of the amount and the exposure of green features on mental health and perceptions. Upon reviewing the papers, this study provides a guide for subsequent research to enhance the view of using deep learning techniques to understand how urban environments influence mental health. It also provides various suggestions that should be taken into account when planning outdoor spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musab Wedyan
- School of Planning, Design and Construction, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Fatemeh Saeidi-Rizi
- School of Planning, Design and Construction, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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Zeng YQ, Chong KC, Chang LY, Liang X, Guo LH, Dong G, Tam T, Lao XQ. Exposure to Neighborhood Greenness and Hypertension Incidence in Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Taiwan. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:37001. [PMID: 38427031 PMCID: PMC10906659 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are few studies on the health effects of long-term exposure to neighborhood greenness in a longitudinal setting, especially in Asian countries with high population densities. OBJECTIVES This study investigates the association between long-term exposure to neighborhood greenness and hypertension among adults in Taiwan. METHODS We selected 125,537 participants (≥ 18 years of age) without hypertension from Taiwan who had joined the standard medical examination program between 2001 and 2016. Neighborhood greenness was estimated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from satellite images at a resolution of 250 m 2 . The 2-y average NDVI value within a 500 -m circular buffer around participants' residences was calculated. A time-varying Cox regression model was used to investigate the association between neighborhood greenness and incident hypertension. Mediation analyses were performed to examine whether the association was explained by air pollution, leisure-time physical exercise, or body mass index (BMI). RESULTS Compared with living in areas within the first quartile of neighborhood greenness, living in areas within the second, third, and fourth quartiles of neighborhood greenness was found to be associated with a lower risk of hypertension, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.00), 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.99), and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.97), respectively. Each 0.1-unit increase in the NDVI was associated with a 24% lower risk of developing hypertension (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.87), with this associations being stronger among males and those with higher education levels. This association was slightly mediated by BMI but not by air pollution or leisure-time physical exercise. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest the protective effects of neighborhood greenness on hypertension development, especially in males and well-educated individuals. Our results reinforced the importance of neighborhood greenness for supporting health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13071.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qian Zeng
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka Chun Chong
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ly-yun Chang
- Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Xue Liang
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Li-Hao Guo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tony Tam
- Department of Sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiang Qian Lao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Zhang Y, Zhao J, Mavoa S, Fenaughty J, Clark TC, Crengle S, Smith M. Impacts of sociodemographic factors, identities and neighbourhood safety on the relationship between urban green space and adolescent mental well-being: Findings from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101603. [PMID: 38283547 PMCID: PMC10821595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between green space accessibility (GSA) in residential area and adolescents' mental well-being, and whether the relationship was moderated by sociodemographic factors (sex, ethnicity, neighbourhood deprivation), identities (gender and sexuality minority, disability) and perceived neighbourhood safety simultaneously. Data from 3813 adolescents who lived in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand were obtained from the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey. A Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method was employed to measure the spatial accessibility to green space at the neighbourhood level. The World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index was used to assess emotional well-being (EW), and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-short form was employed to measure depressive symptoms (DS). Through moderation analyses, results showed that perceived neighbourhood safety plays a vital role in the GSA - mental well-being association, with a negative trend in adolescents who reported being less safe in neighbourhoods. Adverse associations of GSA were found in gender and sexuality minority, disabled, Asian and Pacific adolescents, under the condition of not feeling safe in neighbourhoods all the time. The results showed marginalised adolescents tended to feel less safe in neighbourhoods, have lower EW and a higher level of DS. Additionally, the results from bivariate correlations showed there were inequalities in GSA for adolescents who lived in most deprived neighbourhoods and adolescents of Māori ethnicity. This study provides novel evidence of the importance of safe and inclusive green space for effectively promoting mental health and mitigating health inequalities of adolescents in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Zhang
- School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jinfeng Zhao
- School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Suzanne Mavoa
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - John Fenaughty
- Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Terryann C. Clark
- School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sue Crengle
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Melody Smith
- School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Felappi JF, Sommer JH, Falkenberg T, Terlau W, Kötter T. Urban park qualities driving visitors mental well-being and wildlife conservation in a Neotropical megacity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4856. [PMID: 38418539 PMCID: PMC10902329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55357-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Green infrastructure has been widely recognized for the benefits to human health and biodiversity conservation. However, knowledge of the qualities and requirements of such spaces and structures for the effective delivery of the range of ecosystem services expected is still limited, as well as the identification of trade-offs between services. In this study, we apply the One Health approach in the context of green spaces to investigate how urban park characteristics affect human mental health and wildlife support outcomes and identify synergies and trade-offs between these dimensions. Here we show that perceived restorativeness of park users varies significantly across sites and is mainly affected by safety and naturalness perceptions. In turn, these perceptions are driven by objective indicators of quality, such as maintenance of facilities and vegetation structure, and subjective estimations of biodiversity levels. The presence of water bodies benefited both mental health and wildlife. However, high tree canopy coverage provided greater restoration potential whereas a certain level of habitat heterogeneity was important to support a wider range of bird species requirements. To reconcile human and wildlife needs in green spaces, cities should strategically implement a heterogeneous green infrastructure network that considers trade-offs and maximizes synergies between these dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan Henning Sommer
- Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Falkenberg
- Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Genscherallee 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany
- GeoHealth Centre, Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University of Bonn, Venusberg Campus 1, 53105, Bonn, Germany
| | - Wiltrud Terlau
- International Centre for Sustainable Development, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Grantham-Allee 20, 53757, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Theo Kötter
- Urban Planning and Land Management Group, Institute of Geodesy and Geo-Information, University of Bonn, Nussallee 1, 53115, Bonn, Germany
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Song J, Gasparrini A, Fischer T, Hu K, Lu Y. 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. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:97007. [PMID: 37728899 PMCID: PMC10510815 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglu Song
- Department of Urban Planning and Design, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Public Health, Environment and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Thomas Fischer
- Environmental Assessment and Management Research Centre, Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Kejia Hu
- Institute of Big Data in Health Science, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
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Teixeira A, Gabriel R, Martinho J, Oliveira I, Santos M, Pinto G, Moreira H. Distance to Natural Environments, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Body Composition in Women: An Exploratory Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3647. [PMID: 36834342 PMCID: PMC9967458 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence indicates that living close to nature is associated with better health and well-being. However, the literature still lacks studies analyzing the benefits of this proximity for sleep and obesity, particularly in women. The purpose of this study was to explore how distance to natural spaces is reflected in women's physical activity, sleep, and adiposity levels. The sample consisted of 111 adult women (37.78 ± 14.70). Accessibility to green and blue spaces was assessed using a geographic-information-system-based method. Physical activity and sleep parameters were measured using ActiGraph accelerometers (wGT3X-BT), and body composition was assessed using octopolar bioimpedance (InBody 720). Nonlinear canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze the data. Our findings reveal that women living in green spaces close to their homes had lower levels of obesity and intra-abdominal adiposity. We also demonstrated that a shorter distance to green spaces seemed to correlate with better sleep onset latency. However, no relationship was found between physical activity and sleep duration. In relation to blue spaces, the distance to these environments was not related to any health indicator analyzed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Teixeira
- Department of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ronaldo Gabriel
- Department of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - José Martinho
- Department of Geology, Geociencies Centre (CGeo), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Irene Oliveira
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Mathematics, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Center for Computational and Stochastic Mathematics (CEMAT-IST), Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário Santos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Laboratory of Fluvial and Terrestrial Ecology, Innovation and Development Center, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Rua do Comercio, 100, Buriticupu 65393-000, MA, Brazil
| | - Graça Pinto
- Department of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Helena Moreira
- Department of Sports Science, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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Fernández Núñez MB, Campos Suzman L, Maneja R, Bach A, Marquet O, Anguelovski I, Knobel P. The Differences by Sex and Gender in the Relationship Between Urban Greenness and Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review. J Urban Health 2022; 99:1054-1067. [PMID: 36180810 PMCID: PMC9727044 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00685-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In an increasingly urbanized world, where cardiometabolic issues in cities have raised public health concerns, urban greenness is known to be beneficial for some of the most common health issues. However, the examination of the contribution of sex and gender regarding the benefits of urban greenness for people's cardiometabolic health is lacking. For that reason, we conducted a systematic review of previous literature on the topic following the PRISMA methodology. Additionally, we assessed the quality of the included articles, which we found satisfactory as most papers were of very good or good quality. We explored the relationship between urban greenness exposure and cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Results suggest that urban greenness is protective against cardiovascular risk factors, diseases, and mortality. When stratifying results by sex and gender, findings point to urban greenness being more beneficial for women and females in stroke and cardiovascular risk factors, except for hypertension and lipid accumulation product. On the other hand, males were more protected by urban greenness in terms of cardiovascular diseases and CVD-related mortality, thus proving that sex and gender health inequalities exist. Furthermore, looking towards the future, research needs to use the proper terminology for sex and gender and policy makers should design urban greenness with a gender perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lia Campos Suzman
- Environmental Science and Technology Institute (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Maneja
- Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia, Ctra. de St. Llorenç de Morunys, km 2, 25280, Solsona, Spain
- Environment and Human Health Laboratory (EH2 Lab), Ctra. de St. Llorenç de Morunys, km 2, 25280, Solsona, Spain
- Geography Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Bach
- Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia, Ctra. de St. Llorenç de Morunys, km 2, 25280, Solsona, Spain
- Environment and Human Health Laboratory (EH2 Lab), Ctra. de St. Llorenç de Morunys, km 2, 25280, Solsona, Spain
| | - Oriol Marquet
- Geography Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabelle Anguelovski
- Environmental Science and Technology Institute (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Knobel
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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