scholarly journals A Walk in the Park: Models of BMI with Green Space Density and Footpaths

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Carthy ◽  
Sean Lyons ◽  
Anne Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Weight Status ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Partial Explanation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background : While exposure to urban green spaces has been associated with various physical health benefits, the evidence linking these spaces to lower BMI, particularly among older people, is mixed. We suggest that dimensions of green space accessibility, which are generally unobserved in the existing literature, may be a source of this volatility in results. Methods: We conduct a cross-sectional study combining data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and detailed land use information. We proxy respondents’ exposure to green spaces at their residential addresses in network buffers, which are adjusted to account for the density of local footpaths. Generalised linear models are used to test the association between exposure to accessible green space and BMI. Results: Relative to the third quintile, exposure to the two lowest quintiles of green space, as measured within a 1600m accessible network buffer, is associated with slightly higher BMI (marginal effect for lowest quintile: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.24-1.53; marginal effect for second quintile: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.02-1.2). The results, however, are not robust to small changes in how green space is measured and no statistically significant association between green spaces and BMI is found under other variants of our regression model. Conclusion : The relationship between green spaces and BMI among older adults is highly sensitive to the characterisation of local green space. While footpath availability offers a partial explanation to some unintuitive empirical results previously found in the literature, our results suggest that there remains some other unobserved factor which mediates the relationship between green spaces and weight status.

scholarly journals Characterising urban green space density and accessibility in models of BMI

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Carthy ◽  
Sean Lyons ◽  
Anne Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Weight Status ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background : While exposure to urban green spaces has been associated with various physical health benefits, the evidence linking these spaces to lower BMI, particularly among older people, is mixed. We suggest that dimensions of urban green space accessibility, which are generally unobserved in the existing literature, may be a source of this volatility in results. The aim of this study is to add to the literature on the association between urban green space and BMI by considering alternative measures of urban green space that incorporate measures of footpath availability. Methods: We conduct a cross-sectional study combining data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and detailed land use information. We proxy respondents’ exposure to urban green spaces at their residential addresses in network buffers, which are adjusted to account for the density of local footpaths. Generalised linear models are used to test the association between exposure to accessible urban green space and BMI. Results: Relative to the third quintile, exposure to the lowest quintile of urban green space, as measured within a 1600m accessible network buffer, is associated with slightly higher BMI (marginal effect: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.16-1.44). The results, however, are not robust to small changes in how green space is measured and no statistically significant association between urban green spaces and BMI is found under other variants of our regression model. Conclusion : The relationship between urban green spaces and BMI among older adults is highly sensitive to the characterisation of local green space. Our results suggest that there are some other unobserved factors, other than footpath availability, that mediate the relationship between urban green spaces and weight status.

scholarly journals Characterising urban green space density and footpath-accessibility in models of BMI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Carthy ◽  
Sean Lyons ◽  
Anne Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Weight Status ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: While exposure to urban green spaces has been associated with various physical health benefits, the evidence linking these spaces to lower BMI, particularly among older people, is mixed. We ask whether footpath availability, generally unobserved in the existing literature, may mediate exposure to urban green space and help explain this volatility in results. The aim of this study is to add to the literature on the association between urban green space and BMI by considering alternative measures of urban green space that incorporate measures of footpath availability. Methods: We conduct a cross-sectional study combining data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and detailed land use information. We proxy respondents’ exposure to urban green spaces at their residential addresses using street-side and area buffersthat take account of the presence of footpaths. Generalised linear models are used to test the association between exposure to several measures of urban green space and BMI. Results: Relative to the third quintile, exposure to the lowest quintile of urban green space, as measured within a 1600m footpath-accessible network buffer, is associated with slightly higher BMI (marginal effect: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.16-1.44). The results, however, are not robust to small changes in how green space is measured and no statistically significant association between urban green spaces and BMI is found under other variants of our regression model. Conclusion: The relationship between urban green spaces and BMI among older adults is highly sensitive to the characterisation of local green space. Our results suggest that there are some unobserved factors other than footpath availability that mediate the relationship between urban green spaces and weight status.

scholarly journals Characterising urban green space density and footpath-accessibility in models of BMI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Carthy ◽  
Sean Lyons ◽  
Anne Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Weight Status ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: While exposure to urban green spaces has been associated with various physical health benefits, the evidence linking these spaces to lower BMI, particularly among older people, is mixed. We ask whether footpath availability, generally unobserved in the existing literature, may mediate exposure to urban green space and help explain this volatility in results. The aim of this study is to add to the literature on the association between urban green space and BMI by considering alternative measures of urban green space that incorporate measures of footpath availability. Methods: We conduct a cross-sectional study combining data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and detailed land use information. We proxy respondents’ exposure to urban green spaces at their residential addresses using street-side and area buffers that take account of the presence of footpaths. Generalised linear models are used to test the association between exposure to several measures of urban green space and BMI. Results: Relative to the third quintile, exposure to the lowest quintile of urban green space, as measured within a 1600m footpath-accessible network buffer, is associated with slightly higher BMI (marginal effect: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.16-1.44). The results, however, are not robust to small changes in how green space is measured and no statistically significant association between urban green spaces and BMI is found under other variants of our regression model. Conclusion: The relationship between urban green spaces and BMI among older adults is highly sensitive to the characterisation of local green space. Our results suggest that there are some unobserved factors other than footpath availability that mediate the relationship between urban green spaces and weight status.

scholarly journals Effect of changes in green spaces on mental health in older adults: a fixed effects analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Mark Noordzij ◽  
Marielle A Beenackers ◽  
Joost Oude Groeniger ◽  
Frank J Van Lenthe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Residential Environment ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Sectional Analysis

BackgroundUrban green spaces have been linked to different health benefits, but longitudinal studies on the effect of green spaces on mental health are sparse and evidence often inconclusive. Our objective was to study the effect of changes in green spaces in the residential environment on changes in mental health using data with 10 years of follow-up (2004–2014).MethodsData from 3175 Dutch adults were linked to accessibility and availability measures of green spaces at three time points (2004/2011/2014). Mental health was measured with the Mental Health Inventory-5. Fixed effects analyses were performed to assess the effect of changes in green spaces on mental health.ResultsCross-sectional analysis of baseline data showed significant associations between Euclidean distances to the nearest green space and mental health, with an increase of 100 m correlating with a lower mental health score of approximately 0.5 (95% CI −0.87 to −0.12) on a 0–100 scale. Fixed effects models showed no evidence for associations between changes in green spaces and changes in mental health both for the entire sample as well as for those that did not relocate during follow-up.ConclusionsDespite observed cross-sectional correlations between the accessibility of green space in the residential environment and mental health, no evidence was found for an association between changes in green spaces and changes in mental health. If mental health and green spaces are indeed causally linked, then changes in green spaces in the Eindhoven area between 2004 and 2014 are not enough to produce a significant effect.

An Analysis of Soils in Various Type of Urban Green Spaces Based on the Soil Organic Matter Quality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanmin Choi ◽  
Youjin Kim ◽  
Inhye Seo ◽  
Gayoung Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Urban Park ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
The Relationship

<p>Urban soil is the foundation of ecosystem functioning in urban green spaces, which plays an important role in sustainable urbanization. To maintain the ecosystem services provided by urban green space, it is important to manage and monitor the urban soil using appropriate evaluation parameters. Given that the urban soil is under direct and indirect influence of anthropogenic factors, the characteristics of urban ecosystem should be considered when assessing the soil quality. My research group already suggested a new soil quality parameter set for urban roadside soils, which is composed of soil penetration resistance (PR), pH, the C/H ratio of particulate organic matter (POM-C/H), POM-N, and soil microbial respiration (RES). This parameter set indicated that the urban soil has very unique quality of soil organic matter (SOM) and it should be considered as well as SOM quantity when assessing the urban soil status. In this study, we aimed at assessing the SOM quality in various types of urban green space using the C/H ratio and N of POM and analyzing the relationship between SOM quality and soil RES. Soil RES was regarded as a representative parameter for overall soil health and used as a dependent variable. The study was conducted in three different types of urban green spaces, which are roadside, urban park, and riverside green in Seoul, Korea. In each type of green space, three sites were selected varing in the degree of human disturbance. Soil samples were collected from the 0-15 cm depth, passed through 2mm sieve and dried before analysis. The POM was separated after wet sieving using 53 um screen and the C, N, and H contents of POM were measured using combustion analysis using the Carlo Erba NS Analyzer Carlo Erba, Milan, Italy). We calculated the POM-C/H as a proxy for aromaticity, which increases with high non-degradable OM. To trace the source of SOM, we measured the N stable isotope ratio of POM (POM-δ<sup>15</sup>N). On the same day of soil sampling, soil RES was measured on-site using the EGM CO<sub>2</sub> Gas Analyzer PP Systems, MA, USA). We performed multiple regression to analyze the relationship between SOM quality and soil RES. The POM C/H was higher in roadside soil than urban park, which means the urban roadside soil has a significantly higher amount of non-biodegradable compounds such as PAH. This further implies that OM quality is significantly different among types of urban green spaces. Using the POM delta N value, we found that OM in the roadside soils was originated from sewage sludge, animal urine/feces as well as atmospheric deposition. Analysis of OM source tracing in the urban park and riverside soil will be conducted. There was a negative correlation between POM C/H ratio and soil RES, which indicates the poor soil health condition partly due to low OM quality. In conclusion, this study clarifies the importance of OM quality for assessing the soil in urban green spaces affected by anthropogenic factors and indicates that the SOM quality management needs to be established.</p>

scholarly journals The Relationship between Social Cohesion and Urban Green Space: An Avenue for Health Promotion

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viniece Jennings ◽  
Omoshalewa Bamkole
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

Social cohesion involves the interpersonal dynamics and sense of connection among people. Increased social cohesion can be associated with various physical and psychological health benefits. The presence of urban green spaces can encourage positive social interactions that cultivate social cohesion in ways that enhance health and well-being. Urban green spaces have also been linked to positive health behaviors and outcomes including increased physical activity and social engagement. Understanding the relationship between social cohesion and urban green space is important for informing holistic approaches to health. In this article, we discuss how positive interactions in urban green space can catalyze social cohesion, social capital and critical health-promoting behaviors that may enhance psychological health and well-being. We also summarize the strengths and limitations of previous studies and suggest directions for future research.

The associations between urban green spaces and self-reported health for university students in Singapore and Turin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqing Zhang ◽  
Puay Yok Tan
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
National University ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
The Relationship

<p><span>Numerous studies have found that green spaces can promote human health. However, most of the studies only investigate the relationship between green space and health in one single city. Therefore, whether the relationship between green space and health differs among cities with distinct differences in social-cultural and climatic context or there are universal patterns regarding such relationship is still remain unanswered. To investigate this question, this study aims to compare the associations between green space quantity and self-reported health for university students in Singapore and Turin, two high density cities with different social-cultural and climatic context. Students from National University of Singapore (NUS) and Politecnico di Torino (POLITO) were involved in an online survey to measure their self-reported health, use of green spaces and confounding factors. Through collecting the geographic location of student’s residence from online survey, the quantity of green spaces within 400 m-radius buffer surrounding the residence was calculated for each respondent. Through statistical analysis, the associations between green space quantity and self-reported health were revealed in both cities. The results from this work enhanced the knowledge regarding the dependence of green space-health relationship on social-cultural context. </span></p>

Human density, economic level and frequency of canine helminths in Buenos Aires

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rubel ◽  
N. Flaibani
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Toxocara Canis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Economic Level ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Human Density

Abstract The aim of this study was to explore through cross-sectional study the variation in the prevalence of parasitic helminths in canine faeces collected from green spaces of Buenos Aires according to the human density (HD) and economic level (EL) in the surroundings. HD and EL were considered as independent variables with three categories each. Twenty public squares (one hectare of surface) were randomly selected for each existing combination of the two independent variables. Ten random samples of fresh canine faeces were obtained in each square and analysed for helminths by the sedimentation and flotation techniques. The prevalence for each of the species was analysed using generalized linear models (GLM). The prevalence was modelled with a binomial error distribution and a logit link function. Helminth eggs were detected in 45 out of the 200 (22.5%) faecal samples collected and in 18 of the 20 green spaces sampled. The species observed were Ancylostoma caninum (13% of samples), Trichuris vulpis (8%) and Toxocara canis (4.5%). The GLM indicated that the prevalence of A. caninum in the slum areas (very high HD and very low EL) was higher than that in the other areas studied. However, the HD seemed to contribute more than the EL to the variations in the prevalence of A. caninum in faecal samples. The GLM showed no differences in the prevalence of the other parasite species for the different levels of the independent variables.

scholarly journals The Relationships Between Serum DHEA-S and AMH Levels in Infertile Women: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1211
Author(s):  
Li-Te Lin ◽  
Kuan-Hao Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Generalized Linear Models ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Infertile Women ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels has not been fully established. Therefore, we performed a large-scale cross-sectional study to investigate the association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels. The study included a total of 2155 infertile women aged 20 to 46 years who were divided into four quartile groups (Q1 to Q4) based on serum DHEA-S levels. We found that there was a weak positive association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels in infertile women (r = 0.190, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, serum DHEA-S levels positively correlated with serum AMH levels in infertile women (β = 0.103, p < 0.001). Infertile women in the highest DHEA-S quartile category (Q4) showed significantly higher serum AMH levels (p < 0.001) compared with women in the lowest DHEA-S quartile category (Q1). The serum AMH levels significantly increased across increasing DHEA-S quartile categories in infertile women (p = 0.014) using generalized linear models after adjustment for potential confounders. Our data show that serum DHEA-S levels are positively associated with serum AMH levels.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Differences in Walking Time of Children and Adolescents to Public Green Spaces in Urban Areas—Results of the German Environmental Survey (2014–2017)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2326
Author(s):  
Julia Rehling ◽  
Christiane Bunge ◽  
Julia Waldhauer ◽  
André Conrad
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Environmental Survey ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Public Green Space ◽  
Walking Time

Public green spaces have a high potential for a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing, especially in urban areas. Studies on environmental justice indicate socially unequal access possibilities to urban green spaces. This article presents results on associations between individual socioeconomic position (SEP) and walking time from home to public green spaces in young people living in urban areas with more than 20,000 inhabitants in Germany. Data were derived from the German Environmental Survey for Children and Adolescents 2014–2017 (GerES V), the environmental module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS Wave 2). The sample comprises 1149 participants aged 3 to 17 years. A total of 51.5% of the participants reach a public green space on foot within five and 72.8% within ten minutes from home. The lower the participant’s SEP, the longer the walking time. Logistic regression models controlling for age group, sex, migration background, and region of residence show that participants with a low SEP have a significantly higher risk (odds ratio = 1.98; 95% confidence interval: 1.31–2.99) of needing more than ten minutes to walk from home to a public green space than participants with a high SEP. GerES V data indicate that young people living in urban areas in Germany do not equally benefit from the health-promoting potential of green spaces, which is an important aspect of environmental health inequalities.

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