The association between urban greenspace and psychological health among young adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Proximity to public green spaces and depressive symptoms among South African residents: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Exposure to green spaces has been suggested to improve mental health and may reduce the risk of depression. However, there is generally limited evidence on the association between green spaces and depression originating from low-and middle-income countries and Africa in particular. Here, we investigate the association between proximity to public green spaces and depressive symptoms among residents of Gauteng Province, South Africa.

METHODS

We used data from the 2017/2018 Gauteng quality of life survey. We included all individuals aged 18 years or older residing in the nine municipalities of Gauteng Province that completed the survey (n = 24,341). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Proximity to public green spaces was defined as self-reported walking time (either less or greater than 15 min) from individuals' homes to the nearest public green space. To assess the association between access to public green spaces and depressive symptoms, we used mixed-effects models, adjusted for age, sex, population group (African, Indian/Asian, Coloured (mixed race), and White), educational attainment, and municipality. We additionally performed stratified analyses by age, sex, educational attainment, and population group to evaluate whether associations differed within subgroups. Associations are expressed as prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

We observed a 6% (PR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.92-0.96) prevalence reduction in depressive symptoms for individuals who reported that the nearest public green space was less than 15 min from their homes as compared to those who reported > 15 min. After stratification, this inverse association was stronger among females, individuals aged 35-59 years,those with higher levels of educational attainment, and Coloured individuals as compared to their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that public green spaces close to residential homes may be associated with a reduction in the occurrence of depressive symptoms among urban populations in resource-constrained settings like South Africa.

Association between UGS patterns and residents' health status: A report on residents' health in China's old industrial areas

BACKGROUND

Old industrial areas have low quality and spatial differentiation of urban green space (UGS), which makes it difficult to meet the public's physical activity needs and leads to increased health risks. The purpose of this study is to explore the equity of UGS patterns in old industrial areas and its internal relationship with residents' health status.

METHODS

This study selecteds relevant indicators to evaluate the equity of UGS patterns in the Harbin area and used linear regression analysis to explore the correlation between attributes of old industrial areas and UGS patterns. Additionally, this study explored the spatial correlation of UGSs using Moran's index and hotspot analysis. Finally, a report on residents' health was generated through a questionnaire survey, using linear regression analysis to explore the factors affecting residents' self-rated health and the significance of their correlation.

RESULTS

The results showed that there is an excess supply around the core industrial zone in the west, while the rural areas in the south face a serious shortage of supply. The significance between the factors representing age and income in industrial attributes and UGS pattern was less than 0.05. We observed that residents' self-rated health was positively affected by the intensity of physical activity (low intensity B = 2.073, medium intensity B = 2.359, high intensity B = 2.512) and the frequency of physical activity (B = 1.174). Ages (B = -0.597) and three generations living together (B = -3.191), which represent the industrial attributes, had a negative impact on residents' self-rated health.

CONCLUSION

To a certain extent, industrial attributes aggravate the mismatch of UGS patterns, leading to abnormal areas in spatial clustering. The quality of UGS in the old industrial zone is low and the movement is not strong; thus, the population characteristics and income have become the important factors affecting the health of residents.

Neighborhood Physical and Social Environments and Social Inequalities in Health in Older Adolescents and Young Adults: A Scoping Review

Poor health and well-being are prevalent among young people. Neighborhoods may play a role in promoting good health. Little is known on if and how neighborhood characteristics affect health, and social inequalities therein, among young people. In this scoping review, we asked: (1) what features of the neighborhood physical and social environments have been studied in association with the physical and mental health and well-being of young people 15 to 30 years old; and (2) to what extent have social differentials in these associations been studied, and how? We identified peer-reviewed articles (2000 to 2023) through database and snowball searches. We summarized study characteristics, exposure(s), outcome(s) and main findings, with an eye on social inequalities in health. Out of the 69 articles reviewed, most were quantitative, cross-sectional, conducted among 18-year-olds and younger, and focused on the residential neighborhood. Neighborhood social capital and mental health were the most common exposure and outcome studied, respectively. Almost half of the studies examined social inequalities in health, mostly across sex/gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Evidence gaps remain, which include exploring settings other than residential neighborhoods, studying the older age stratum of young adulthood, and assessing a broader range of social inequalities. Addressing these gaps can support research and action on designing healthy and equitable neighborhoods for young people.