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Green Space for Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era: A Pathway Analysis in Residential Green Space Users

Author

Listed:
  • Hansen Li

    (Institute of Sports Science, College of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400175, China)

  • Matthew H. E. M. Browning

    (Department of Park, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Angel M. Dzhambov

    (Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria)

  • Guodong Zhang

    (Institute of Sports Science, College of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400175, China)

  • Yang Cao

    (Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
    Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

Residential green space is among the most accessible types of urban green spaces and may help maintain mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is insufficiently understood how residents use residential green space for exercise during the epidemic. The pathways between residential green space and mental health also merit further exploration. Therefore, we conducted an online study among Chinese residents in December 2021 to capture data on engagement with urban green space for green exercise, the frequency of green exercise, perceived pollution in green space, perceptions of residential green space, social cohesion, depression, and anxiety. Among the 1208 respondents who engaged in green exercise last month, 967 (80%) reported that green exercise primarily occurred in residential neighborhoods. The rest (20%) reported that green exercise occurred in more distant urban green spaces. The most common reasons that respondents sought green exercise in urban green spaces were better air and environmental qualities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was then employed to explore the pathways between the perceived greenness of residential neighborhoods and mental health among respondents who used residential green space for exercise. The final model suggested that residential green space was negatively associated with anxiety (β = −0.30, p = 0.001) and depression (β = −0.33, p < 0.001), mainly through indirect pathways. Perceived pollution and social cohesion were the two mediators that contributed to most of the indirect effects. Perceived pollution was also indirectly associated with green exercise through less social cohesion (β = −0.04, p = 0.010). These findings suggest a potential framework to understand the mental health benefits of residential green space and its accompanying pathways during the COVID-19 era.

Suggested Citation

  • Hansen Li & Matthew H. E. M. Browning & Angel M. Dzhambov & Guodong Zhang & Yang Cao, 2022. "Green Space for Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era: A Pathway Analysis in Residential Green Space Users," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:8:p:1128-:d:869640
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    References listed on IDEAS

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