Exploring the Impacts of Protected Areas’ Attributes on Pediatric Health: The Case for Additional Research beyond Greenspace

William L. Rice (), Sarah Y. Michels, Miranda Foster, Jon Graham, Peter Whitney and Jennifer M. Thomsen
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William L. Rice: Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Sarah Y. Michels: Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Miranda Foster: Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Jon Graham: Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Peter Whitney: Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Jennifer M. Thomsen: Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: An increasingly vast segment of the literature examines the relationship between greenspace and pediatric health. However, the bulk of this research continues to use proximate relative greenness as a measure for exposure to the ecosystem services provisioned by natural areas, despite increasing recognition that relative greenness fails to capture the public accessibility, recreation potential, or desirability of natural areas. Thus, this present research demonstrates the use of emerging data sources that can be used in conjunction with traditional greenspace measures to improve modeling as it relates to nature’s impacts on pediatric health. Using spatial park and protected area data in concert with mobile phone location data, we demonstrate exploratory analysis on how park and protected area attributes may influence pediatric health in northwest Montana, USA. Suggestive findings concerning how the attributes of park and protected areas (i.e., conservation status, access, recreation demand) influence pediatric health (i.e., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, asthma, and anxiety/mood disorders) lead us to introduce directions for future research beyond greenspace. Importantly, this research does not intend to provide definitive or generalizable findings concerning how parks and protected areas influence pediatric health. Instead, we aim to provide an initial exploration toward a larger, future body of the literature, evaluating parks and protected areas’ influence on pediatric health.

Keywords: pediatric health; parks and protected areas; beyond greenspace; outdoor recreation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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