Diversity of Studies on Neighborhood Greenspace and Brain Health by Racialized/Ethnic Group and Geographic Region: A Rapid Review

Lilah M. Besser (), Marcia Pescador Jimenez, Cameron J. Reimer, Oanh L. Meyer, Diana Mitsova, Kristen M. George, Paris B. Adkins-Jackson and James E. Galvin
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Lilah M. Besser: Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33433, USA
Marcia Pescador Jimenez: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Cameron J. Reimer: Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Oanh L. Meyer: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Diana Mitsova: School of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
Kristen M. George: Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA
Paris B. Adkins-Jackson: Departments of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
James E. Galvin: Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33433, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Studies examining associations between greenspace and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) outcomes are rapidly on the rise, yet no known literature reviews have summarized the racialized/ethnic group and geographic variation of those published studies. This is a significant gap given the known disparities in both greenspace access and ADRD risk between racialized/ethnic groups and between developed versus developing countries. In this rapid literature review, we (1) describe the diversity of published greenspace–brain health studies with respect to racialized/ethnic groups and geographic regions; (2) determine the extent to which published studies have investigated racialized/ethnic group differences in associations; and (3) review methodological issues surrounding studies of racialized/ethnic group disparities in greenspace and brain health associations. Of the 57 papers meeting our inclusion criteria as of 4 March 2022, 21% ( n = 12) explicitly identified and included individuals who were Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or Asian. Twenty-one percent of studies ( n = 12) were conducted in developing countries (e.g., China, Dominican Republic, Mexico), and 7% ( n = 4) examined racialized/ethnic group differences in greenspace–brain health associations. None of the studies were framed by health disparities, social/structural determinants of health, or related frameworks, despite the known differences in both greenspace availability/quality and dementia risk by racialized/ethnic group and geography. Studies are needed in developing countries and that directly investigate racialized/ethnic group disparities in greenspace—brain health associations to target and promote health equity.

Keywords: greenspace; brain health; Alzheimer; cognition; race; health disparities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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