Green Space and Health Equity: A Systematic Review on the Potential of Green Space to Reduce Health Disparities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 18(5), P. 2563 - 2563

Published: March 4, 2021

Disadvantaged groups worldwide, such as low-income and racially/ethnically minoritized people, experience worse health outcomes than more privileged groups, including wealthier white people. Such disparities are a major public issue in several countries around the world. In this systematic review, we examine whether green space shows stronger associations with physical for disadvantaged groups. We hypothesize that have protective effects from because of their greater dependency on proximate space, they tend to lack access other health-promoting resources. use preferred reporting items reviews meta-analyses (PRISMA) method search five databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Web Science) look articles socioeconomic status (SES) or race/ethnicity modify space-health associations. Based search, identify 90 meeting our inclusion criteria. find lower-SES people show beneficial affluent particularly when concerning spaces/parks rather land covers/greenness. Studies Europe versus higher-SES do studies North America. no notable differences between racial/ethnic Collectively, these results suggest might be tool advance equity provide ways forward urban planners, parks managers, professionals address disparities.

Language: Английский

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AI for life: Trends in artificial intelligence for biotechnology

New Biotechnology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 74, P. 16 - 24

Published: Feb. 6, 2023

Due to popular successes (e.g., ChatGPT) Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on everyone's lips today. When advances in biotechnology are combined with AI unprecedented new potential solutions become available. This can help many global problems and contribute important Sustainability Development Goals. Current examples include Food Security, Health Well-being, Clean Water, Energy, Responsible Consumption Production, Climate Action, Life below or protect, restore promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt reverse land degradation biodiversity loss. ubiquitous the life sciences Topics a wide range from machine learning Big Data analytics, knowledge discovery data mining, biomedical ontologies, knowledge-based reasoning, natural language processing, decision support reasoning under uncertainty, temporal spatial representation inference, methodological aspects explainable (XAI) applications biotechnology. In this pre-Editorial paper, we provide an overview open research issues challenges for each topics addressed special issue. Potential authors directly as guideline developing their paper.

Language: Английский

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Green space and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment study

The Lancet Planetary Health, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 5(10), P. e718 - e730

Published: Oct. 1, 2021

Natural outdoor environments including green spaces play an important role in preserving population health and wellbeing cities, but the number of deaths that could be prevented by increasing space European cities is not known. We aimed to estimate natural-cause among adult residents 31 countries, if WHO recommendation for universal access was achieved.In this impact assessment study we focused on (aged ≥20 years; n=169 134 322) 978 49 greater countries. used two proxies: normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), percentage area (%GA). The exposure estimated at a fine grid-cell level (250 m × 250 m) preventable mortality burden 2015 local city-level.For found meeting prevent 42 968 (95% CI 32 296-64 177) annually using NDVI proxy (ie, 20% [95% 15-30] per 100 000 inhabitants-year), which represents 2·3% 1·7-3·4) total 245 184-366) years life lost inhabitants-year. For %GA 17 947 (95%CI 0-35 747) annually. attributable were half results non-significant due response function considered. distribution varied between equally distributed within cities. Among capitals, Athens, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Riga showed some highest burdens lack space. main source uncertainty our choice age-structures analysis, exposure-response analysis.A large premature space, while contributing sustainable, liveable healthy cities.GoGreenRoutes, Internal ISGlobal fund, United States Department Agriculture Forest Service.

Language: Английский

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An ecosystem service perspective on urban nature, physical activity, and health

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 118(22)

Published: May 14, 2021

Nature underpins human well-being in critical ways, especially health. provides pollination of nutritious crops, purification drinking water, protection from floods, and climate security, among other well-studied health benefits. A crucial, yet challenging, research frontier is clarifying how nature promotes physical activity for its many mental benefits, particularly densely populated cities with scarce dwindling access to nature. Here we frame this by conceptually developing a spatial decision-support tool that shows where, how, whom urban activity, inform greening efforts broader assessments. We synthesize what known, present model framework, detail the steps data needs can yield generalizable models an effective assessing nature–physical relationship. Current knowledge supports initial distinguish broad trends enrich planning, policy, public decisions. New, iterative application will reveal importance different types nature, subpopulations who benefit it, nature’s potential contribution creating more equitable, green, livable active inhabitants.

Language: Английский

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Evidence-based guidelines for greener, healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods: Introducing the 3–30–300 rule

Journal of Forestry Research, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 34(3), P. 821 - 830

Published: Aug. 26, 2022

The important contributions of urban trees and green spaces to for example, climate moderation public health have been recognized. This paper discusses guidelines norms that promote the benefits viewing green, living amongst having easy access recreational use. Having other vegetation in sight from one's home, place work, or school has mental performance benefits. Local tree canopy cover is positively associated with cooling aspects moderation. With proximity home stimulates regular use these areas results positive impacts on mental, physical, social health. After analyzing existing rules space planning provision, a new, comprehensive guideline presented, known as '3-30-300 rule' forestry. aims provide equitable their by setting thresholds at least 3 well-established view every school, no less than 30% neighbourhood; more 300 m nearest residence. Current implementation this new discussed, well advantages disadvantages using evidence-based but also clear simple rules.

Language: Английский

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Where greenspace matters most: A systematic review of urbanicity, greenspace, and physical health

Landscape and Urban Planning, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 217, P. 104233 - 104233

Published: Sept. 30, 2021

Greenspace in urban areas may have greater protective health effects than elsewhere. Urban dwellers experience more environmental harmful exposures, attentional demands, and stressors their suburban/rural counterparts. In this systematic review, we synthesize the results of studies that examined how greenspace relationship varies by urbanicity. We searched for articles April 2019 found positive associations between physical health. Included tested effect modification urbanicity among one or (of eight total) outcomes relevant to equity. coded as 1 = stronger association areas, −1 less 0 no difference. 57 analyses 37 met our inclusion criteria. Among these analyses, 50.9% showed difference, 38.6% a 10.5% areas. More had cardiovascular-related, birth, mortality measured within 500 m. Stronger greenspace-health might be explained part mechanistic pathways underlying associations. can reduce harms from exposures (i.e., air pollution, noise, heat, artificial light at night) addition alleviating reducing chronic stressors, promoting healthy behavior - factors which necessary, prevalent, These potential explanations warrant further investigation. The findings review inform public policy planning professionals who are attempting make cities livable all residents.

Language: Английский

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The Benefits and Limits of Urban Tree Planting for Environmental and Human Health

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 9

Published: April 8, 2021

Many of the world’s major cities have implemented tree planting programs based on assumed environmental and social benefits urban forests. Recent studies increasingly tested these assumptions provide empirical evidence for contributions programs, as well their feasibility limits, solving or mitigating issues. We propose that current supports local cooling, stormwater absorption, health trees residents. However, potential to appreciably mitigate greenhouse gas emissions air pollution over a wide array sites conditions is limited. Consequently, appear be more promising climate adaptation strategies than mitigation strategies. In large part, this due space constraints limiting extent canopies relative magnitude emissions. The most impacts are those can realized with well-stewarded localized design interventions at site municipal scales. Tree scales has documented health, which maximized through targeted followed by monitoring, adaptive management, long-term eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Language: Английский

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Nature's contributions in coping with a pandemic in the 21st century: A narrative review of evidence during COVID-19

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 833, P. 155095 - 155095

Published: April 6, 2022

While COVID-19 lockdowns have slowed coronavirus transmission, such structural measures also unintended consequences on mental and physical health. Growing evidence shows that exposure to the natural environment (e.g., blue-green spaces) can improve human health wellbeing. In this narrative review, we synthesized about nature's contributions wellbeing during first two years of pandemic. We found pandemic, people experienced multiple types nature, including both outdoors indoors. Frequency visits outdoor areas (i.e., public parks) depended lockdown severity socio-cultural contexts. Other forms nature exposure, as spending time in private gardens viewing greenery from windows, may increased. The majority suggests pandemic was associated with less depression, anxiety, stress, more happiness life satisfaction. Additionally, correlated inactivity fewer sleep disturbances. Evidence mixed regarding associations between COVID-related outcomes, while might be greater rates transmission mortality when proper social distancing were not maintained. Findings whether helped ameliorate inequities by impacting lower-socioeconomic populations than their higher-socioeconomic counterparts for example mixed. Based these findings, argue buffered negative behavioral impacts Recovery resilience current crises future improved nature-based infrastructure, interventions, designs, governance.

Language: Английский

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Green space and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Environmental Pollution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 301, P. 118990 - 118990

Published: Feb. 15, 2022

Language: Английский

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The Effects of Contact With Nature During Outdoor Environmental Education on Students’ Wellbeing, Connectedness to Nature and Pro-sociality

Frontiers in Psychology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: May 4, 2021

Experiences of contact with nature in school education might be beneficial for promoting ecological lifestyles and the wellbeing children, families, teachers. Many theories empirical evidence on restorative environments, as well foundations classical pedagogical approaches, recognize value direct experience natural elements, related psychological educational outcomes (e.g., positive emotions, autonomy, self-efficacy, empathy). In this work we present two studies focusing outdoor interventions primary secondary students Italy. A questionnaire measuring connectedness to nature, psycho-physical wellbeing, pro-environmental attitudes, students’ life satisfaction, pro-social behavior, empathy anxiety was completed before after program by participants intervention group a control group. The groups (154 study 1 170 2) participated environmental programs consisting guided activities during four visits one protected areas. (253 168 attended same schools but they were not involved program. both weeks year. Findings show that taking part has behavior group, compared implications effectiveness future directions research practice psychology are discussed.

Language: Английский

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