Mitigating Stress and Supporting Health in Deprived Urban Communities: The Importance of Green Space and the Social Environment

Abstract

Environment-health research has shown significant relationships between the quantity of green space in deprived urban neighbourhoods and people’s stress levels. The focus of this paper is the nature of access to green space (i.e., its quantity or use) necessary before any health benefit is found. It draws on a cross-sectional survey of 406 adults in four communities of high urban deprivation in Scotland, United Kingdom. Self-reported measures of stress and general health were primary outcomes; physical activity and social wellbeing were also measured. A comprehensive, objective measure of green space quantity around each participant’s home was also used, alongside self-report measures of use of local green space. Correlated Component Regression identified the optimal predictors for primary outcome variables in the different communities surveyed. Social isolation and place belonging were the strongest predictors of stress in three out of four communities sampled, and of poor general health in the fourth, least healthy, community. The amount of green space in the neighbourhood, and in particular access to a garden or allotment, were significant predictors of stress. Physical activity, frequency of visits to green space in winter months, and views from the home were predictors of general health. The findings have implications for public health and for planning of green infrastructure, gardens and public open space in urban environments.

Effects of Urban Green Space on Environmental Health, Equity and Resilience

“…Green space can play an important role in fostering social interactions and promote a sense of community that is essential for social cohesion (Kim and Kaplan 2004) as well as for human health (Lengen and Kistemann 2012). Public urban green space has been shown to facilitate social networking and promote social inclusion in children and adolescents (Seeland et al 2009;Ward Thompson et al 2016). The quantity and the quality of greenery have been linked with improved social cohesion at the neighbourhood scale (de Vries et al 2013) while shortage of green space has been associated with perception of loneliness and lack of social support (Maas et al 2009a).…”

Towards a Better Understanding of the Relationship between Individual’s Self-Reported Connection to Nature, Personal Well-Being and Environmental Awareness

“…There is a growing body of research that points to the positive relationships between connection to, and contact with, nature and a range of mental and physical health benefits (e.g., [1][2][3][4]). Exposure to nature has frequently been linked to reductions in stress [5][6][7][8], improvements in mood and alleviation of symptoms of depression [9][10][11]. People who feel more connected to nature may be more likely to spend time outdoors in nature and, in turn, gain associated health benefits [12,13].…”

The Impact of Green Open Space on Community Attachment—A Case Study of Three Communities in Beijing

“…Bow et al [25] held that community attachment related to the bonds people developed with the natural environment. Based on research about green open space in deprived urban neighborhoods, Ward et al [26] also pointed out that green open space increase the community attachment and reduce social isolation, thereby promoting the health and well-being of residents.…”