"Nature is there; its free": Urban greenspace and the social determinants of health of immigrant families

Abstract

In this article, we draw on a 2012 Montreal-based study that examined the embodied, every day practices of immigrant children and families in the context of urban greenspaces such as parks, fields, backyards, streetscapes, gardens, forests and rivers. Results suggest that activities in the natural environment serve as a protective factor in the health and well-being of this population, providing emotional and physical nourishment in the face of adversity. Using the Social Determinants of Health model adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1998), we analyze how participants accessed urban nature to minimize the effects of inadequate housing, to strengthen social cohesion and reduce emotional stress. We conclude with a discussion supporting the inclusion of the natural environment in the Social Determinants of Health Model.

Acculturation Strategies Among South Asian Immigrants: The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) Study

“…This is an important area for future research, and data from the MASALA study are well-suited to answer questions about the health-related consequences of acculturation strategies used by immigrants from South Asia. To the extent that contextual variables, such as ethnic density, social cohesion, and quality of the natural environment, are a common cause of acculturation strategies and health-related outcomes [see 22, 23], it will be important for future research in this area to incorporate measures of the neighborhood environment. Geocoded data will soon be available for the MASALA cohort, making this type of analysis possible.…”

The impacts of unstructured nature play on health in early childhood development: A systematic review

“…After removal of duplicates (n = 2927) and screening of records, 16 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in the review. A total of 35 studies were excluded; 17 for ineligible intervention [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57], 5 for ineligible setting [58][59][60][61][62], 6 for ineligible study design [63][64][65][66][67][68], 2 for ineligible outcomes [69,70], 2 for ineligible patient population [71,72] and 3 additional duplicates were detected and excluded [73,74]. Brussoni et al [75] Case series pre-test/post-test (mixed methods) level IV…”

Land and nature as sources of health and resilience among Indigenous youth in an urban Canadian context: a photovoice exploration

“…Indeed, the assertion that nature can have beneficial or restorative health effects is well established; where reductions in stress, increased focus and concentration, improved general well-being, and heightened vitality are all positively related to the presence of and human connections with nature [9][10][11][12]. Research evidence also demonstrates that such connections with nature can result in decreased anxiety, aggression, and depression, while increasing a variety of measures of physical and mental health, optimism, self-esteem, vitality, and resilience or one's ability to overcome stress and obstacles [13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…The concepts of nature or environment within this literature are often used interchangeably with a variety of related terms, such as the natural setting, greenspace, land, and natural environment [8]. Here nature is generally defined as an environment where some organic ecosystem processes are present, such as animals, trees, gardens, or vegetation in the landscape, plants, soils, water, rocks or air [13,14]. Although definitions and outcomes of what constitutes health and well-being are complex and draw on different conceptual models, the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of health often informs research in this area as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity [5,6].…”