Different types of urban natural environments influence various dimensions of self-reported health

Environmental Research
Ingrid JarvisMatilda van den Bosch

Abstract

Growing evidence suggests health benefits of natural environments. Yet, the effects of different types of natural environments (vegetation and water features) and forms of human-nature contact (access versus exposure) remain relatively unexplored. A cross-sectional observational survey was used to analyse the relationship between both access and exposure to different types of urban natural environments and health outcomes in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Data for health outcomes (self-reported general health, mental health, and common mental disorders) and key confounders were obtained from the 2013-2014 Canadian Community Health Survey. Natural environments were quantified using local land use and land cover data, and linked to survey respondents by six-digit postal code. Access was defined as living within 300 m of a public greenspace (≥ 1 hectare) and exposure as the percentage of different land cover types within multiple buffer distances of postal code centroids. Separate logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of the access and exposure metrics with the three health outcomes. Exposure to water within 1,000 m buffers was associated with a reduced odds of reporting poor general health (OR = 0.982, 95% C...Continue Reading

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