Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2015
Effects of changing exposure to neighbourhood greenness on general and mental health: A longitudinal study
Weimann, Hanna; Rylander, Lars; Albin, Maria; Skärbäck, Erik; Grahn, Patrik; Östergren, Per-Olof; Björk, JonasAbstract
Green neighbourhood environments have been associated with physical and psychological wellbeing in adults. Access to greenness is potentially more important in vulnerable subgroups. In this study based on longitudinal survey data from southern Sweden the cohort was divided into prognostic groups for good self-reported general (n=8891) and mental (n=9444) health. We used independent survey data to assess perceived neighbourhood greenness in 1 km(2) areas, and estimated effects of changing exposure longitudinally stratified by prognostic group. The overall effect on health was small and statistically uncertain (for general health OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.98-1.10, for mental health OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00-1.14). A more beneficial effect of increased greenness was indicated among subjects with lowest prognostic of good general health (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.52). The study provided only weak evidence for beneficial effects of increased neighbourhood greenness triggered by changing residence. It seems that altered life circumstances, e.g. changed civil or socioeconomic status that often trigger a decision to move, are also the key determinants of the health consequences of changing residence. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Keywords
Green quality; Neighborhood perceptions; General health; Mental health; Longitudinal dataPublished in
Health and Place2015, volume: 33, pages: 48-56
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Authors' information
Weimann, Hanna
Lund University
Rylander, Lars
Albin, Maria
Lund University
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Work Science, Business Economics and Environmental Psychology
Östergren, Per-Olof
Björk, Jonas
Lund University
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
SDG3 Good health and well-being
UKÄ Subject classification
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.003
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/69010