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. 2018 Oct 22;15(10):2323.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15102323.

Impacts of Individual Daily Greenspace Exposure on Health Based on Individual Activity Space and Structural Equation Modeling

Lin Zhang  1   2 , Suhong Zhou  3   4 , Mei-Po Kwan  5   6 , Fei Chen  7   8 , Rongping Lin  9   10
Affiliations

Impacts of Individual Daily Greenspace Exposure on Health Based on Individual Activity Space and Structural Equation Modeling

Lin Zhang et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Previous studies on the effects of greenspace exposure on health are largely based on static contextual units, such as residential neighborhoods, and other administrative units. They tend to ignore the spatiotemporal dynamics of individual daily greenspace exposure and the mediating effects of specific activity type (such as physical activity). Therefore, this study examines individual daily greenspace exposure while taking into account people's daily mobility and the mediating role of physical activity between greenspace exposure and health. Specifically, using survey data collected in Guangzhou, China, and high-resolution remote sensing images, individual activity space for a weekday is delineated and used to measure participants' daily greenspace exposure. Structural equation modeling is then applied to analyze the direct effects of individual daily greenspace exposure on health and its indirect effects through the mediating variable of physical activity. The results show that daily greenspace exposure directly influences individual health and also indirectly affects participants' health status through physical activity. With respect to the total effects, daily greenspace exposure helps improve participants' mental health and contributes to promoting their social health. It also helps improve participants' physical health, although to a lesser extent. In general, the higher the daily greenspace exposure, the higher the physical activity level and the better the overall health (including physical, mental, and social health).

Keywords: Guangzhou; greenspace exposure; health; human mobility; physical activity; structural equation modeling.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual framework.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Study area.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Construction of individual activity space using two types of buffer areas.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effects of daily greenspace exposure on health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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