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Associations of greenspace use and proximity with self-reported physical and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Associations of greenspace use and proximity with self-reported physical and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Janelle R Edwards, Jeromy W Gotschall, Jane E Clougherty and Leah H Schinasi
PloS one, v 18(3), e0280837
01 Mar 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280837
PMID: 36857353
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280837View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

COVID-19 Humans Outcome Assessment, Health Care Pandemics Parks, Recreational Self Report
Research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic affected individual's mental and physical health. The aim of this study was to estimate associations between greenspace use and proximity with perceived mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed metropolitan Philadelphia residents, October 20-December 1, 2020, about walking time to the nearest greenspace from their home, frequency of greenspace use in the past 30 days, change in frequency of greenspace use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and perceived physical and mental health outcomes. We ran unadjusted and adjusted log-binomial regression models to derive Risk Ratio (RR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) estimates of associations of loneliness, physical and mental health outcomes with: (1) self-reported walking time to nearest greenspace; (2) reported greenspace use frequency; and (3) changes in greenspace use frequency. Of 485 survey participants, 244 (51.4%) reported feeling lonelier, 147 (31.37%) reported higher perceived stress, 261 (54.9%) reported worsened mental health, and 137 (28.7%) reported worsened physical health during vs. before the start of pandemic-restrictions in mid-March of 2020. After adjustment for gender, age, and change in financial status, RR estimates suggested modest protective associations between visiting greenspaces more frequently during vs. before the pandemic and worsened mental (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.70-1.00), and physical health (RR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.56-1.10), and loneliness (RR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.75-1.1) and perceived stress (RR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.61-1.13). Shorter walking distances to the nearest greenspace were associated with reduced risk of reporting worsened physical health and higher perceived stress; however, living shorter walking distances from greenspace were not associated with protection against worsened mental health or loneliness. These results suggest that active greenspace use may provide mental and physical health protection, particularly during a stressful public health crisis.

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14 citations in Web of Science

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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