TY - JOUR
T1 - Green space visits among adolescents
T2 - Frequency and predictors in the PIAMA birth cohort study
AU - Bloemsma, Lizan D.
AU - Gehring, Ulrike
AU - Klompmaker, Jochem O.
AU - Hoek, Gerard
AU - Janssen, Nicole A.H.
AU - Smit, Henriëtte A.
AU - Vonk, Judith M.
AU - Brunekreef, Bert
AU - Lebret, Erik
AU - Wijga, Alet H.
PY - 2018/4/1
Y1 - 2018/4/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Green space may influence health through several pathways, for example, increased physical activity, enhanced social cohesion, reduced stress, and improved air quality. For green space to increase physical activity and social cohesion, spending time in green spaces is likely to be important. OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adolescents visit green spaces and for what purposes. Furthermore, we assessed the predictors of green space visits. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data for 1911 participants of the Dutch PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) birth cohort were analyzed. At age 17, adolescents reported how often they visited green spaces for physical activities, social activities, relaxation, and to experience nature and quietness. We assessed the predictors of green space visits altogether and for different purposes by log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of the adolescents visited green spaces at least once a week in summer, mostly for physical and social activities. Adolescents reporting that a green environment was (very) important to them visited green spaces most frequently {adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] very vs. not important: 6.84 (5.10, 9.17) for physical activities and 4.76 (3.72, 6.09) for social activities}. Boys and adolescents with highly educated fathers visited green spaces more often for physical and social activities. Adolescents who own a dog visited green spaces more often to experience nature and quietness. Green space visits were not associated with the objectively measured quantity of residential green space, i.e., the average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percentages of urban, agricultural, and natural green space in circu- lar buffers around the adolescents’ homes. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective variables are stronger predictors of green space visits in adolescents than the objectively measured quantity of residential green space.
AB - BACKGROUND: Green space may influence health through several pathways, for example, increased physical activity, enhanced social cohesion, reduced stress, and improved air quality. For green space to increase physical activity and social cohesion, spending time in green spaces is likely to be important. OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adolescents visit green spaces and for what purposes. Furthermore, we assessed the predictors of green space visits. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data for 1911 participants of the Dutch PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) birth cohort were analyzed. At age 17, adolescents reported how often they visited green spaces for physical activities, social activities, relaxation, and to experience nature and quietness. We assessed the predictors of green space visits altogether and for different purposes by log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of the adolescents visited green spaces at least once a week in summer, mostly for physical and social activities. Adolescents reporting that a green environment was (very) important to them visited green spaces most frequently {adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] very vs. not important: 6.84 (5.10, 9.17) for physical activities and 4.76 (3.72, 6.09) for social activities}. Boys and adolescents with highly educated fathers visited green spaces more often for physical and social activities. Adolescents who own a dog visited green spaces more often to experience nature and quietness. Green space visits were not associated with the objectively measured quantity of residential green space, i.e., the average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percentages of urban, agricultural, and natural green space in circu- lar buffers around the adolescents’ homes. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective variables are stronger predictors of green space visits in adolescents than the objectively measured quantity of residential green space.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047141860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1289/EHP2429
DO - 10.1289/EHP2429
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85047141860
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 126
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
IS - 4
M1 - 047016
ER -