| 1. |
- Astell-Burt, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Green space and loneliness : A systematic review with theoretical and methodological guidance for future research
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 847
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Persistent loneliness troubles people across the life span, with prevalence as high as 61% in some groups. Urban greening may help to reduce the population health impacts of loneliness and its concomitants, such as hopelessness and despair. However, the literature lacks both a critical appraisal of extant evidence and a conceptual model to explain how green space would work as a structural intervention. Both are needed to guide decision making and further research. We conducted a systematic review of quantitative studies testing associations between green space and loneliness, searching seven databases. Twenty two studies were identified by 25/01/2022. Most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries and fifteen (68 %) had cross-sectional designs. Green space was measured inconsistently using either objective or subjective indicators. Few studies examined specific green space types or qualities. The majority of studies measured general loneliness (e.g. using the UCLA loneliness scale). Different types of loneliness (social, emotional, existential) were not analysed. Of 132 associations, 88 (66.6 %) indicated potential protection from green space against loneliness, with 44 (33.3 %) reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). We integrated these findings with evidence from qualitative studies to elaborate and extend the existing pathway domain model linking green space and health. These elaborations and extensions acknowledge the following: (a) different types of green space have implications for different types of loneliness; (b) multilevel circumstances influence the likelihood a person will benefit or suffer harm from green space; (c) personal, relational, and collective processes operate within different domains of pathways linking green space with loneliness and its concomitants; (d) loneliness and its concomitants are explicitly positioned as mediators within the broader causal system that links green space with health and wellbeing. This review and model provide guidance for decision making and further epidemiological research on green space and loneliness.
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| 2. |
- Astell-Burt, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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More green, less lonely? : A longitudinal cohort study
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 51:1, s. 99-110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundUrban greening may reduce loneliness by offering opportunities for solace, social reconnection and supporting processes such as stress relief. We (i) assessed associations between residential green space and cumulative incidence of, and relief from, loneliness over 4 years; and (ii) explored contingencies by age, sex, disability and cohabitation status.MethodsMultilevel logistic regressions of change in loneliness status in 8049 city-dwellers between 2013 (baseline) and 2017 (follow-up) in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study. Associations with objectively measured discrete green-space buffers (e.g. parks) (<400, <800 and <1600 m) were adjusted for age, sex, disability, cohabitation status, children and socio-economic variables. Results were translated into absolute risk reductions in loneliness per 10% increase in urban greening.ResultsThe absolute risk of loneliness rose from 15.9% to 16.9% over the 4 years; however, a 10% increase in urban greening within 1.6 km was associated with lower cumulative incident loneliness [odds ratio (OR) = 0.927, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.862 to 0.996; absolute risk reduction = 0.66%]. Stronger association was observed for people living alone (OR = 0.828, 95% CI = 0.725 to 0.944). In comparison to people with <10% green space, the ORs for cumulative incident loneliness were 0.833 (95% CI = 0.695 to 0.997), 0.790 (95% CI = 0.624 to 1.000) and 0.736 (95% CI = 0.549 to 0.986) for 10–20%, 20–30% and >30% green space, respectively. Compared with the <10% green-space reference group with 13.78% incident loneliness over 4 years and conservatively assuming no impact on incident loneliness, associations translated into absolute risk reductions of 1.70%, 2.26% and 2.72% within populations with 10–20%, 20–30% and >30% green space, respectively. These associations were stronger again for people living alone, with 10–20% (OR = 0.608, 95% CI = 0.448 to 0.826), 20–30% (OR = 0.649, 95% CI = 0.436 to 0.966) and >30% (OR = 0.480, 95% CI = 0.278 to 0.829) green space within 1600 m. No age, sex or disability-related contingencies, associations with green space within 400 or 800 m or relief from loneliness reported at baseline were observed.ConclusionsA lower cumulative incidence of loneliness was observed among people with more green space within 1600 m of home, especially for people living alone. Potential biopsychosocial mechanisms warrant investigation.
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| 3. |
- Chang, Chia-chen, et al.
(författare)
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A lower connection to nature is related to lower mental health benefits from nature contact
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - 2045-2322. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increasing evidence demonstrates the psychological benefits of nature contact. However, the evidence is often established at the population level, and the individual differences in the psychological benefits gained from nature are considered negligible variations. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional online survey in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia, from April 15th and May 15th, 2021 around one year after the first covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. The results show that individuals with a stronger connection to nature are linked with a lower level of stress and anxiety with increased frequency in public greenspace visits, while such an association is less clear for individuals with a weaker connection to nature. We also find that, through the answer to an open-ended question, individuals with a lower connection to nature tend to mention nature-related words less as the reason for visiting greenspace. This indicates that a person’s connection to nature is linked with how they interact with nature and thus might determine whether and how much psychological benefit a person gains from experiencing nature.
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| 4. |
- Hartig, Terry, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Associations between greenspace and mortality vary across contexts of community change : a longitudinal ecological study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 74:6, s. 534-540
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Concerns about loss of greenspace with urbanisation motivate much research on nature and health; however, contingency of greenspace-health associations on the character of community change remains understudied.Methods With aggregate data from governmental sources for 1432 Swedish parishes, we used negative binomial regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality during 2000–2008 in relation to percentage area (in 2000) of urban residential greenspace, urban parks and rural greenspace, looking across parishes with decrease, stability or increase in population density. We also assessed interactions between land use and population change.Results Parishes with ≥1 decile increase in population density had lower incidence of all-cause (IRR=0.91, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.95) and CVD mortality (IRR=0.89, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.94) compared with parishes with stable populations. In stable parishes, all-cause mortality was lower with higher percentages of urban green (IRR=0.998, 95% CI 0.996 to 1.000) and rural green land uses (IRR=0.997, 95% CI 0.996 to 0.999). These results were inverted in densifying parishes; higher all-cause mortality attended higher initial percentages of urban (IRR=1.081, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.127) and rural greenspace (IRR=1.042, 95% CI 1.007 to 1.079) as measured in 2000. Similar associations held for CVD mortality.Conclusions More greenspace was associated with lower all-cause and CVD mortality in communities with relatively stable populations. In densifying communities, population growth per se may reduce mortality, but it may also entail harm through reductions in amount per capita and/or quality of greenspace.
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| 5. |
- Kingsley, Jonathan, et al.
(författare)
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Pandemic gardening: A narrative review, vignettes and implications for future research
- 2023
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : ELSEVIER GMBH. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 87
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a significant amount of evidence highlighting the health, wellbeing and social benefits of gardening during previous periods of crises. These benefits were also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper presents a narrative review exploring gardening during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the different forms of gardening that took place during this crisis and key elements of this activity. Research about gardening during the pandemic focused on food (in)security and disrupted food systems, the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening, and the social dimensions of gardening. We offer three vignettes of our own research to highlight key insights from local, national and international perspectives of gardening during the pandemic. The papers conclusion outlines how researchers, policy makers and public health practitioners can harness what has been learned from gardening during the pandemic to ensure these benefits are more widely available and do not exacerbate already entrenched health inequalities in society.
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| 6. |
- Li, Cheng, et al.
(författare)
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Introducing water factors improves simulations of maize stomatal conductance models under plastic film mulching in arid and semi-arid irrigation areas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694. ; 617
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic film mulching (PFM) in the cropland may alter biophysical conditions for crop growth, which may not be accounted for in existing stomatal conductance models. This can affect the accuracy of carbon–nitrogen-water cycle simulations for the soil-crop systems and hamper our understanding of internal mechanisms that control plant leaf stomatal conductance (gsw). To evaluate the simulations of PFM effects on gsw, the three models (i.e., Ball-Woodrow-Berry (BWB), Ball-Berry-Leuning (BBL), and unified stomatal optimization (USO) models) were used. The two model modification factors were leaf-air temperature difference (ΔT) and a water response function (f(θ)). A two-year maize (Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted under different PFM (black, transparent, and no-mulch). The performance of the BWB model was poor under varying water status in the arid irrigation area. As for the BBL and USO models, the coefficient of determination and modified efficiency coefficient of the modified models increased 5.8%–90.6% and 6.5%–145.4%, respectively, compared with the initial models. The root mean square error and relative error of the modified models decreased 3.5%–67.9% and 4.8%–65.6%, respectively. The ΔT and f(θ) factors effectively improved the BBL and USO models, but the f(θ)-modified models performed better than ΔT-modified models under PFM. Overall, our results suggest that the maize land implemented with plastic film mulching has altered biophysical conditions, leading to significant changes in crop photosynthesis, leaf-air temperature difference and top-soil water conditions. Accurate estimates of stomatal conductance require the model to consider water response functions and leaf-air temperature difference, particularly in environmental conditions associated with different extents of water deficit or drought.
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| 7. |
- Li, Cheng, et al.
(författare)
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Ridge planting with transparent plastic mulching improves maize productivity by regulating the distribution and utilization of soil water, heat, and canopy radiation in arid irrigation area
- 2023
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Ingår i: Agricultural Water Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3774. ; 280
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ridge-furrow mulching system is widely used for improving soil hydrothermal conditions and crop productivity in semiarid and arid rainfed areas. The response of crop productivity to resource capture and utilization is crucial for agricultural field management and sustainable development. However, few have simultaneously investigated the coupling effect of plastic film mulching (PM) types and planting patterns on root and shoot growth, photosynthesis, yield, resource capture and utilization as well as their potential links in the same experiment, especially in arid irrigation areas, limiting our understanding of PM and ridge planting application. This study conducted a two-year field experiment with four treatments: 1) flat planting with transparent plastic film mulch (FT); 2) flat planting with black plastic film mulch (FB); 3) ridge–furrow planting with transparent plastic film mulch (RT); 4) ridge–furrow planting with black plastic film mulch (RB). The results showed that RT significantly increased soil water storage and root growth at the silking and grain-filling stages in both years by enhancing soil thermal time with 151.9–176.2 °C d and the intercepted photosynthetic active radiation with 22.2–57.4 MJ m–2. In addition, RT had a significantly higher net photosynthetic rate than FT and FB at the 12-leaf and silking stages, enhancing the transportation of stem and leaf to grain. The logistic equation using growing degree days as the independent variable characterized the dynamic features of maize growth under different PM types (transparent or black) coupled with ridge–furrow planting. RT accelerated dry matter accumulation by enhancing the maximum growth rate and extending the rapid growth period, resulting in 12.9–15.2 % more dry matter accumulation and 10.0–16.7 % higher grain yields than FB. Furthermore, RT significantly increased resource use efficiencies by 10.1–17.3 % for water, 3.0–5.5 % for thermal, and 4.0–9.1 % for radiation compared with FB. Ridge planting had the highest contributor rates, with >40 % for yield and resource capture. This study suggests that RT maintains high maize productivity and resource use efficiencies in arid irrigation areas with limited water resources by regulating soil water, heat, and canopy radiation distribution and utilization.
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| 8. |
- Lin, Brenda B., et al.
(författare)
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Nature experience from yards provide an important space for mental health during Covid-19
- 2023
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Ingår i: npj Urban Sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2661-8001. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urban dwellers' use of public and private green spaces may have changed during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic due to movement restriction. A survey was deployed in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia 1 year after the start of Covid-19 restrictions (April 2021) to explore relationships of mental health and wellbeing to different patterns of private yard versus public green space visitation. More frequent yard use during the initial year of Covid-19 was correlated with lower stress, depression, and anxiety and higher wellbeing. However, greater duration of yard visits (week prior to survey) was associated with higher stress, anxiety, and depression scores, potentially because individuals may seek to use nature spaces immediately available for emotional regulation during difficult times. The results highlight the importance of yards for mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic and that relationships between nature interaction and mental health may be context and timeframe dependent.
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| 9. |
- Markevych, Iana, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring pathways linking greenspace to health : theoretical and methodological guidance
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0013-9351 .- 1096-0953. ; 158, s. 301-317
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In a rapidly urbanizing world, many people have little contact with natural environments, which may affect health and well-being. Existing reviews generally conclude that residential greenspace is beneficial to health. However, the processes generating these benefits and how they can be best promoted remain unclear.Objectives: During an Expert Workshop held in September 2016, the evidence linking greenspace and health was reviewed from a transdisciplinary standpoint, with a particular focus on potential underlying biopsychosocial pathways and how these can be explored and organized to support policy-relevant population health research.Discussions: Potential pathways linking greenspace to health are here presented in three domains, which emphasize three general functions of greenspace: reducing harm (e.g. reducing exposure to air pollution, noise and heat), restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration and physiological stress recovery) and building capacities (e.g. encouraging physical activity and facilitating social cohesion). Interrelations between among the three domains are also noted. Among several recommendations, future studies should: use greenspace and behavioural measures that are relevant to hypothesized pathways; include assessment of presence, access and use of greenspace; use longitudinal, interventional and (quasi)experimental study designs to assess causation; and include low and middle income countries given their absence in the existing literature. Cultural, climatic, geographic and other contextual factors also need further consideration.Conclusions: While the existing evidence affirms beneficial impacts of greenspace on health, much remains to be learned about the specific pathways and functional form of such relationships, and how these may vary by context, population groups and health outcomes. This Report provides guidance for further epidemiological research with the goal of creating new evidence upon which to develop policy recommendations.
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