Does the Health Impact of Exposure to Neighbourhood Green Space Differ between Population Groups? An Explorative Study in Four European Cities

Annemarie Ruijsbroek, Mariël Droomers, Hanneke Kruize, Elise Van Kempen, Christopher J. Gidlow, Gemma Hurst, Sandra Andrusaityte, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Jolanda Maas, Wim Hardyns, Karien Stronks and Peter P. Groenewegen
Additional contact information
Annemarie Ruijsbroek: Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Mariël Droomers: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hanneke Kruize: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Elise Van Kempen: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Christopher J. Gidlow: Centre for Sport, Health and Exercise Research, Staffordshire University, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Gemma Hurst: Centre for Sport, Health and Exercise Research, Staffordshire University, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Sandra Andrusaityte: Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen: ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
Jolanda Maas: Department of Social and Organisational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Vrije Universiteit (VU), 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Wim Hardyns: Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Karien Stronks: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Peter P. Groenewegen: NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: It has been suggested that certain residents, such as those with a low socioeconomic status, the elderly, and women, may benefit more from the presence of neighbourhood green space than others. We tested this hypothesis for age, gender, educational level, and employment status in four European cities. Data were collected in Barcelona (Spain; n = 1002), Kaunas (Lithuania; n = 989), Doetinchem (The Netherlands; n = 847), and Stoke-on-Trent (UK; n = 933) as part of the EU-funded PHENOTYPE project. Surveys were used to measure mental and general health, individual characteristics, and perceived neighbourhood green space. Additionally, we used audit data about neighbourhood green space. In Barcelona, there were positive associations between neighbourhood green space and general health among low-educated residents. In the other cities and for the other population groups, there was little evidence that the association between health and neighbourhood green space differed between population groups. Overall, our study does not support the assumption that the elderly, women, and residents who are not employed full-time benefit more from neighbourhood green space than others. Only in the highly urbanised city of Barcelona did the low-educated group benefit from neighbourhood green spaces. Perhaps neighbourhood green spaces are more important for the health of low-educated residents in particularly highly urbanised areas.

Keywords: green space; mental health; general health; European cities; subpopulations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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