Is living near green areas beneficial to mental health? Results of the Pró-Saúde Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between exposure to green areas in the surroundings of the residence and the presence of common mental disorders among adults, according to different income strata. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 2,584 participants from the Pró-Saúde Study (2006), residing in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Common Mental Disorders were measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and exposure to green areas was measured using the normalized difference vegetation index, in buffers with radiuses between 100 and 1,500 meters around the residence. We used the mean and maximum normalized difference vegetation index categorized into quartiles. The study population was divided into three subgroups, according to the income: low, intermediate, and high. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated with logistic regression models. The models were adjusted by sex and age, with and without inclusion of physical activity practice. RESULTS: The proportion of common mental disorders was 30% and 39% among men and women, respectively. The results of the adjusted models showed an inverse association between the presence of green areas in the surroundings of the residence and the occurrence of common mental disorders, in the buffer of 200 meters in the intermediate-income group and in the buffers of 400 and 1,500 meters in the low-income group. The odds ratio ranged from 0.52 (buffer of 1,500 meters) to 0.68 (buffer of 200 meters). The association found was independent of physical activity practice. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence found suggests the existence of a beneficial effect of urban green areas on the mental health of lower-income individuals. These findings can help in understanding how the urban environment can affect the mental health of the population.

Why a New Research Agenda on Green Spaces and Health Is Needed in Latin America: Results of a Systematic Review

“…For the 19 studies included 14 were cross-sectional [ 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], 3 ecological studies [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], and 2 longitudinal cohorts [ 33 , 34 ] ( Figure 2 ). Nine studies were conducted in Brazil [ 16 , 19 , 20 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 33 ], six in Mexico [ 24 , 25 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 ], three in Colombia [ 21 , 22 , 23 ], and one in Chile [ 18 ] ( Figure 2 ). The studies were published between 2007 and 2019.…”

“…The population ranged between 120 and 103 million individuals. In terms of age, nine studies focused on adults [ 16 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 34 , 35 ], five on individuals older than 50 years [ 21 , 26 , 28 , 33 , 34 ], two on the whole population [ 31 , 32 ], one included adults and teenagers [ 18 , 23 ], and one only included children [ 19 ] ( Figure 2 ).…”

“…The exposure to green spaces was included using five general definitions. Eight studies used green space density or proximity [ 16 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 27 , 28 , 34 ], five used green presence [ 18 , 20 , 26 , 29 , 33 ], four used an index that incorporated an element such as vegetation, nature or parks [ 25 , 30 , 31 , 32 ], and two used green space or park visit [ 23 , 35 ] ( Figure 2 ).…”

“…In terms of health outcomes, six studies focused on mental health [ 18 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 34 , 35 ] ( Figure 2 ). Specifically, studies included psychiatric symptoms [ 18 ], non-psychotic mental disorders [ 27 ], depressive symptoms [ 24 , 25 ], depression [ 34 ], and cognitive function [ 35 ] as mental health outcomes. Four studies focused on overweight and obesity [ 26 , 29 ], excess weight [ 20 ], body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference [ 19 ].…”

The Role of the Physical and Social Environment in Observed and Self-Reported Park Use in Low-Income Neighborhoods in New York City

“…There is increasing recognition of the contribution of parks to physical and mental health (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Although there are health benefits related to living near a park (17,18), many of these benefits involve using the park, such as the opportunity to engage in physical activity, recreation and social interactions (9,19,20). However, some studies have found that parks are often underused, especially in low-income neighborhoods (21)(22)(23).…”