Green Space and Health in Mainland China: A Systematic Review

Associations between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter with ischemic stroke mortality and the role of green space: a time-series study in Zibo, China

Background

Previous studies on associations between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ischemic stroke (IS) mortality reported inconclusive results. Additionally, whether and how PM2.5 and green space interact to precipitate IS deaths remains unclear. We aimed to examine the impacts of short-term exposure to PM2.5 on IS mortality and the role of green space in the association.

Methods

We collected data on daily IS deaths, daily PM2.5 concentrations, and monthly normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in Zibo City from 2015 to 2019. Generalised additive models were adopted to investigate the short-term impacts of PM2.5 on IS mortality, and subgroup analyses were used to examine effect modification by population characteristics. Stratified analyses by green space levels and joint effect model were conducted to test the interactions of PM2.5 and green space on IS mortality.

Results

A total of 10 799 IS deaths were included in our study. Exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of IS mortality, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.0263 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0017, 1.0516) for each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 on lag0 and 1.0317 (95% CI = 1.0016, 1.0627) on lag01. The links between PM2.5 and IS mortality were not significantly different across genders, ages, or PM2.5 zones. Furthermore, our results showed that the effects of PM2.5 on IS mortality were higher in low levels of green space. Specifically, for each IQR increase in PM2.5, the ORs (95% CIs) of IS death in the low level and the high level of NDVI were 1.0287 (95% CI = 1.0019, 1.0563) and 0.9934 (95% CI = 0.9296, 1.0615), respectively. In addition, PM2.5 and NDVI exhibited significant interactive effects on IS mortality, with relative excess odds due to interaction (REOI) of greater than 0.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that PM2.5 was significantly associated with increasing odds of IS mortality. Furthermore, there were synergetic impacts between PM2.5 and lack of greenness on IS mortality. Our results suggest that expanding green spaces, such as increasing park coverage and street greening, along with regulating industrial emissions to reduce PM2.5 levels, can help prevent premature deaths from IS.

Impact of urban greening on population health in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

The rate of urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has increased remarkably, with the urban population expected to double by 2050. This rapid urbanisation, industrialisation and climate change pose serious public health challenges resulting from increased heat waves and other environmental changes. Urban greening holds promise as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy, leading to biodiversity conservation and enhancing the physical, mental and social well-being of the population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This scoping review aims to identify and synthesise studies that investigated the availability and utilisation of green spaces, the factors that affect the utilisation of green spaces as well as the health impacts of urban greening in SSA. A systematic search will be conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, JSTOR, SCOPUS and Green FILE) and grey literature sources for papers published up to 2024, in line with established scoping review frameworks. The data will be charted and extracted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Extension for Scoping Reviews. We will further synthesise and use thematic analysis to fully understand the relationship between urban greening and population health in SSA.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval will not be required because primary data will not be collected for the study. The results of this study come from published articles, which are publicly available. The results of the review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication and presented at workshops and conferences.

REGISTRATION

The scoping review protocol has been registered on the Open Science Framework https://osf.io/nfh68.

Association of greenspaces exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiometabolic conditions are major contributors to the global burden of disease. An emerging body of evidence has associated access to and surrounding public open spaces (POS) and greenspace with cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, body mass index (BMI), hypertension (HTN), blood glucose (BG), and lipid profiles. This systematic review aimed to synthesize this evidence.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. Four electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles published until July 2023. All observational studies which assessed the association of greenspace and POS with cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, BMI, HTN, BG, and lipid profiles were included and reviewed by two authors independently. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the I2 index and Cochrane's Q test. Random/fixed effect meta-analyses were used to combine the association between greenspace exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 118 relevant articles were included in our review. The majority of the articles were conducted in North America or Europe. In qualitative synthesis, access or proximity to greenspaces or POS impacts BMI and blood pressure or HTN, BG, and lipid profiles via various mechanisms. According to the random effect meta-analysis, more access to greenspace was significantly associated with lower odds of HTN (odds ratio (OR): 0.81, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.61-0.99), obesity (OR: 0.83, 95% CIs: 0.77-0.90), and diabetes (OR:0.79, 95% CI: 0.67,0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that greenspace accessibility is associated with some cardiometabolic risk factors. Improving greenspace accessibility could be considered as one of the main strategies to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors at population level.

Associations of the neighbourhood built and natural environment with cardiometabolic health indicators: A cross-sectional analysis of environmental moderators and behavioural mediators

BACKGROUND

Most studies examining the effects of neighbourhood urban design on cardiometabolic health focused solely on the built or natural environment. Also, they did not consider the roles of neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES) and ambient air pollution in the observed associations, and the extent to which these associations were mediated by physical activity and sedentary behaviours.

METHODS

We used data from the AusDiab3 study (N = 4141), a national cohort study of Australian adults to address the above-mentioned knowledge gaps. Spatial data were used to compute indices of neighbourhood walkability (population density, intersection density, non-commercial land use mix, commercial land use), natural environment (parkland and blue spaces) and air pollution (annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5)). Census indices were used to define neighbourhood SES. Clinical assessments collected data on adiposity, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids. Generalised additive mixed models were used to estimate associations.

RESULTS

Neighbourhood walkability showed indirect beneficial associations with most indicators of cardiometabolic health via resistance training, walking and sitting for different purposes; indirect detrimental associations with the same indicators via vigorous gardening; and direct detrimental associations with blood pressure. The neighbourhood natural environment had beneficial indirect associations with most cardiometabolic health indicators via resistance training and leisure-time sitting, and beneficial direct associations with adiposity and blood lipids. Neighbourhood SES and air pollution moderated only a few associations of the neighbourhood environment with physical activity, blood lipids and blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Within a low-density and low-pollution context, denser, walkable neighbourhoods with good access to nature may benefit residents' cardiometabolic health by facilitating the adoption of an active lifestyle. Possible disadvantages of living in denser neighbourhoods for older populations are having limited opportunities for gardening, higher levels of noise and less healthy dietary patterns associated with eating out.

The influence of climate change on mental health in populations of the western Pacific region: An umbrella scoping review

The Western Pacific Region (WPR) is on the front line of climate change challenges. Understanding how these challenges affect the WPR populations' mental health is essential to design effective prevention and care policies. Thus, the present study conducted an umbrella scoping review that examined the influence of climate change on mental health in the WPR, using review articles as a source of information. Ten review articles were selected according to eligibility criteria, and the findings were synthesized according to the socio-economic status of the countries identified: Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, the Pacific Islands (broadly), and China. The findings revealed that each country and sub-region has its own unique profile of climate change-related challenges and vulnerable populations, highlighting the need for specific approaches to mental health care. Specifically, the influence of climate-related challenges differed according to populations' region (e.g., rural populations), demographic characteristics (e.g., age and gender), culture (e.g., traditional tights to land), and employment (e.g., farmers and fishers). The most frequently reported mental health outcomes in response to climate change-related challenges such as droughts, floods, storms, tornadoes, typhoons, and climate-related migration were the decline in mental well-being and the increase in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, using the GRADE framework for assessing the certainty of the findings, we identified that the number of articles discussing associations between a given climate change challenge and a mental health outcome was overall limited. Based on our findings and findings on a global scale, we identified several key research gaps in WPR and provided recommendations for future research and policy strategies.

Visiting nature is associated with lower socioeconomic inequalities in well-being in Wales

Natural environments can promote well-being through multiple mechanisms. Many studies have investigated relationships between residential green/blue space (GBS) and well-being, fewer explore relationships with actual use of GBS. We used a nationally representative survey, the National Survey for Wales, anonymously linked with spatial GBS data to investigate associations of well-being with both residential GBS and time in nature (N = 7631). Both residential GBS and time spent in nature were associated with subjective well-being. Higher green-ness was associated with lower well-being, counter to hypotheses (predicting the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS): Enhanced vegetation index β =  - 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) - 3.63, - 0.05) but time spent in nature was associated with higher well-being (four hours a week in nature vs. none β = 3.57, 95% CI 3.02, 4.13). There was no clear association between nearest GBS proximity and well-being. In support of the equigenesis theory, time spent in nature was associated with smaller socioeconomic inequalities in well-being. The difference in WEMWBS (possible range 14-70) between those who did and did not live in material deprivation was 7.7 points for those spending no time in nature, and less at 4.5 points for those spending time in nature up to 1 h per week. Facilitating access and making it easier for people to spend time in nature may be one way to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in well-being.

Greenness modifies the association between ambient air pollution and cognitive function in Australian adolescents, but not in mid-life adults

Exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with reduced cognitive function in childhood and later life, with too few mid-life studies to draw conclusions. In contrast, residential greenness has been associated with enhanced cognitive function throughout the lifecourse. Here we examine the extent to which (1) ambient air pollution and residential greenness predict later cognitive function in adolescence and mid-life, and (2) greenness modifies air pollution-cognitive function associations.

PARTICIPANTS

6220 adolescents (51% male) and 2623 mid-life adults (96% mothers) from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

MEASURES

Exposures: Annual average particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and greenness (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) for residential addresses from validated land-use regression models over a 10-13-year period.

OUTCOMES

Cognitive function from CogState tests of attention, working memory and executive function, dichotomised into poorer (worst quartile) versus not poor.

ANALYSES

Adjusted mixed-effects generalised linear models with residential greenness assessed as an effect modifier (high vs. low divided at median). The annual mean for PM_2.5 and NO₂ across exposure windows was 6.3-6.8 μg/m³, and 5.5-7.1 ppb, respectively. For adolescents, an IQR increment of NO₂ was associated with 19-24% increased odds of having poorer executive function across all time windows, while associations weren't observed between air pollution and other outcomes. For adults, high NO₂ predicted poorer cognitive function across all outcomes, while high PM_2.5 predicted poorer attention only. There was little evidence of associations between greenness and cognitive function in adjusted models for both generations. Interactions were found between residential greenness, air pollutants and cognitive function in adolescents, but not adults. The magnitude of effects was similar across generations and exposure windows. Findings highlight the potential benefits of cognitive health associated with the regulation of air pollution and urban planning strategies for increasing green spaces and vegetation.

Person-Centered Climate, Garden Greenery and Well-Being among Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nursing home residents' well-being is often proxy-rated in studies, and few studies have explored the association between resident-rated person-centered climate, garden greenery, and resident-rated well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaire data from a convenient sample of 470 nursing home residents in a city in Southeast China in 2021 were analyzed using multiple linear regressions, with block-wise models. The instruments used were the Person-centered Climate Questionnaire-Patient version, the Nursing Home Greenery Index, and, for well-being, the EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (depression symptoms). In the unadjusted models, the person-centered climate was positively associated with general health (β 0.29, p < 0.001), person-centered climate and greenery with life satisfaction (β 0.39, and 0.18; both p < 0.001), and negatively with depression (β -0.28, and β -0.23, both p < 0.001). After adjusting for personal and nursing home characteristics, the associations between person-centered climate, greenery, and well-being remained statistically significant. The three models explained 36%, 35%, and 21% of the variance in general health, life satisfaction, and depression, respectively. This study provides knowledge on person-centered climate in long-term care and the access to greenery.

Greenspace and health outcomes in children and adolescents: A systematic review

An increasing body of evidence has linked greenspace and various health outcomes in children and adolescents, but the conclusions were inconsistent. For this review, we comprehensively summarized the measurement methods of greenspace, resultant health outcomes, and potential mechanisms from epidemiological studies in children and adolescents (aged ≤19 years). We searched for studies published and indexed in MEDLINE and EMBASE (via Ovid) up to April 11, 2022. There were a total of 9,291 studies identified with 140 articles from 28 countries finally assessed and included in this systematic review. Over 70% of the studies were conducted in highly urbanised countries/regions, but very limited research has been done in low-and middle-income countries and none in Africa. Measures of greenspace varied. Various health outcomes were reported, including protective effects of greenspace exposure on aspects of obesity/overweight, myopia, lung health, circulatory health, cognitive function, and general health in children and adolescents. The associations between greenspace exposure and other health outcomes were inconsistent, especially for respiratory health studies. We pooled odds ratios (OR) using random-effects meta-analysis for health outcomes of asthma (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.84 to 1.06), allergic rhinitis (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.73 to 1.25), and obesity/overweight (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.84 to 0.98) with per 0.1 unit increase in normalized difference in vegetation index (NDVI). These associations have important implications for the assessment and management of urban environment and health in children and adolescents.

Evaluating the Coordinated Development between Urban Greening and Economic Growth in Chinese Cities during 2005 to 2019

Balancing economic growth with environmental protection is vital for the sustainable development of cities and regions. However, urban greening has rarely been considered in extensive studies. This study incorporates urban greening into a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, in order to evaluate its coordination with economic performance. A total of 286 cities in China between 2005 and 2019 were selected as specific study subjects. Meanwhile, clustering method was used to classify different clusters based on CCD values, the Gini coefficient analysis was applied to discover the CCD values inequality characteristics and the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method was employed to study the CCD values spatial aggregation features. The results indicate that the CCD values presented significant spatial heterogeneity. Spatially, the CCD values were divided into eight clusters, with those in the eastern region generally being higher than in the central and western regions. Temporally, the CCD in all cities showed an increasing trend, but more than 60% of cities were still in the uncoordinated or low-level coordination stage. In addition, inequality and spatial aggregation characteristics were observed in CCD values, both of which presented decreasing trends. Greening has a stronger influence on the linked and coordinated growth of the two systems; therefore, we propose policy recommendations for pursuing the development of environmentally friendly cities from different aspects. In summary, this research allows for a better understanding of economic and environmental relationships, thus contributing to the objective of creating sustainable cities and communities.

Usage behavior and health benefit perception of youth in urban parks: A case study from Qingdao, China

With the development of the urban park, people's cognition of the relationship between the environment and public health has been improved, and higher requirements for the living environment have been put forward. As an important group of park users, youths often have different needs regarding the health benefits brought by urban parks. To explore the potential relationship among youth's satisfaction with urban parks, their usage behavior, and health benefit perception, this article presents some constructive suggestions for the development of healthy landscapes in urban parks. Researchers have selected five typical urban parks from different areas in Qingdao, China. Furthermore, we have used the survey method by combining the practices of “issuing questionnaires, observing and interviewing” with the goal of collecting data on 500 park visitors in autumn, including information on social demography, the satisfaction of park landscape variables, and usage behavior and health perception. A linear regression model has been used to analyze the correlation among “landscape variables,” “usage behavior,” and “health benefit perception.” Results have shown that urban green landscapes and waterscapes can significantly affect youth's social health perception and static behavior. Moreover, static behaviors such as relaxation have a great impact on mental health perception. The results of this study will be beneficial in understanding youth's needs for landscapes when using urban parks. In addition, it will provide insight for the urban planners and landscape designers to design urban parks from the perspective of youth.

Effects of carbon dioxide and green space on sleep quality of the elderly in rural areas of Anhui Province, China

Sleep quality leads to many healthy problems, which has caused global concern. Most studies have focused on the sleep quality in some large cities, ignoring the elderly in rural areas who may have more serious sleep problems. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the sleep status of the elderly in rural areas of Anhui Province and the influence of environmental factors on it. The data of carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations for this study were obtained from the Dalhousie University atmospheric composition analysis group. The data of normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) in 2014 was produced and processed by remote sensing inversion on the basis of medium resolution satellite images. The 2686 individuals were selected from rural areas of Anhui Province by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. The independent, interactive, and mediating effects of CO₂ and green space on sleep quality were evaluated by generalized linear model, interaction model, and mediating effect model, respectively. In this study, we found that the prevalence of sleep disturbance in the elderly was 58.40%. In the univariate model, we found that the risk of sleep disturbance increased by 1.6% for each 1 μg/m³ increase in concentrations of CO₂, while decreased by 1.5% for every 0.1 increase in NDVI. In the interaction model, the negative correlation between green space and sleep quality decreased with concentrations of CO₂ increased. In addition, green space was a mediating factor between CO₂ and sleep quality in the mediating effect model.

The equigenic effect of greenness on the association between education with life expectancy and mortality in 28 large Latin American cities

BACKGROUND

Recent studies highlight the equigenic potential of greenspaces by showing narrower socioeconomic health inequalities in greener areas. However, results to date have been inconsistent and derived from high-income countries. We examined whether urban greenness modifies the associations between area-level education, as a proxy for socioeconomic status, and life expectancy and cause-specific mortality in Latin American cities.

METHODS

We included 28 large cities, >137 million inhabitants, in nine Latin American countries, comprising 671 sub-city units, for 2012-2016. Socioeconomic status was assessed through a composite index of sub-city level education, and greenness was calculated using the normalized difference vegetation index. We fitted multilevel models with sub-city units nested in cities, with life expectancy or log(mortality) as the outcome.

FINDINGS

We observed a social gradient, with higher levels of education associated with higher life expectancy and lower cause-specific mortality. There was weak evidence supporting the equigenesis hypothesis as greenness differentially modified the association between education and mortality outcomes. We observed an equigenic effect, with doubling magnitudes in the violence-related mortality reduction by education in areas with low greenness compared to medium-high greenness areas among men (16% [95% CI 12%-20%] vs 8% [95% CI 4%-11%] per 1 SD increase in area-level education). However, in contradiction to the equigenesis hypothesis, the magnitude in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality reduction by education was stronger in areas with medium-high greenness compared to areas with low greenness (6% [95% CI 4%-7%] vs 1% [95% CI -1%-3%] and 5% [95% CI 3%-7%] vs 1% [95% CI -1%-3%] per 1 SD increase in area-level education, in women and men, respectively). Similarly, each 1-SD increase in greenness widened the educational inequality in life expectancy by 0.15 years and 0.20 years, in women and men, respectively. The equigenic effect was not observed in violence-related mortality among women and in mortality due to communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal and nutritional conditions (CMNN).

INTERPRETATION

Our results confirm socioeconomic health inequalities in Latin American cities and show that the equigenic properties of greenspace vary by health outcome. Although mixed, our findings suggest that future greening policies should account for local social and economic conditions to ensure that greenspaces provide health benefits for all, and do not further exacerbate existing health inequalities in the region.

FUNDING

Wellcome Trust (Grant, 205177/Z/16/Z).