Social media influences National Park visitation.

Visitation to National Parks in the United States increased by more than 25% since 2010, rising from roughly 70 to 90 million annual visitors. Anecdotes suggest that this increase was driven by the advent of social media in the early-to-mid 2010s, generating a new form of exposure for parks, and has led to concerns about overcrowding and degradation of environmental quality. However, there is little empirical evidence on the role of social media in influencing recreation decisions. Here, I construct a dataset on social media exposure (SME) for each National Park and relate that exposure to changes in visitation over the last two decades. High SME parks see visitation increase by 16 to 22% relative to parks with less exposure, which comes with a concomitant increase in revenue. Low SME parks have no, or negative, changes in visitation. These estimates account for unobserved park heterogeneity and are based on an instrumental variables strategy that predicts exposure with a park's online popularity prior to the social media era. Additional analysis suggests that recent social media posts that include media attachments increase visitation, while posts with negative sentiment reduce visitation. These results provide insight for the National Park Service-which faces more than $22 billion in deferred maintenance costs and is considering policy options to manage demand-as well as for management of recreation on other public lands.

Private management of African protected areas improves wildlife and tourism outcomes but with security concerns in conflict regions.

Protected areas can conserve wildlife and benefit people when managed effectively. African governments increasingly delegate the management of protected areas to private, nongovernmental organizations, hoping that private organizations' significant resources and technical capacities actualize protected areas' potential. Does private sector management improve outcomes compared to a counterfactual of government management? We leverage the transfer of management authority from governments to African Parks (AP)-the largest private manager of protected areas in Africa-to show that private management significantly improves wildlife outcomes via reduced elephant poaching and increased bird abundances. Our results also suggest that AP's management augments tourism, while the effect on rural wealth is inconclusive. However, AP's management increases the risk of armed groups targeting civilians, which could be an unintended outcome of AP's improved monitoring and enforcement systems. These findings reveal an intricate interplay between conservation, economic development, and security under privately managed protected areas in Africa.

Associations of Urban Blue and Green Spaces With Coronary Artery Calcification in Black Individuals and Disadvantaged Neighborhoods.

BACKGROUND: Proximity to urban blue and green spaces has been associated with improved cardiovascular health; however, few studies have examined the role of race and socioeconomic status in these associations. METHODS: Data were from the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults). We included longitudinal measurements (1985-1986 to 2010-2011) of blue and green spaces, including percentage of blue space cover, distance to the nearest river, green space cover, and distance to the nearest major park. Presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) was measured with noncontrast cardiac computed tomography in 2010 to 2011. The associations of blue and green spaces with CAC were assessed with generalized estimating equation regression with adjustment for demographics, individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status, health-related behaviors, and other health conditions. We conducted stratified analyses by race and neighborhood deprivation score to investigate whether the association varied according to social determinants of health. RESULTS: The analytic sample included 1365 Black and 1555 White participants with a mean±SD age of 50.1±3.6 years. Among Black participants, shorter distance to a river and greater green space cover were associated with lower odds of CAC (per interquartile range decrease [1.45 km] to the river: odds ratio [OR], 0.90 [95% CI, 0.84-0.96]; per 10 percentage-point increase of green space cover: OR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.95]). Among participants in deprived neighborhoods, greater green space cover was associated with lower odds of CAC (per a 10 percentage-point increase: OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.80-0.99]), whereas shorter distance to the park was associated with higher odds of CAC (per an interquartile range decrease [5.3 km]: OR, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.00-1.15]). Black participants in deprived neighborhoods had lower odds of CAC with shorter distance to a river (per an interquartile range decrease: OR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.82-0.98]) and greater green space cover (per a 10 percentage-point increase: OR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.97]). There was no statistical interaction between the blue and green spaces and race or neighborhood characteristics in association with CAC. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinally, shorter distance to a river and greater green space cover were associated with less CAC among Black participants and those in deprived neighborhoods. Shorter distance to a park was associated with increased odds of CAC among participants in deprived neighborhoods. Black participants residing in more deprived neighborhoods showed lower odds of CAC in association with greater exposure to river and green space cover.

Epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in free-ranging rhinoceros in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Mycobacterium bovis infection, which is a prominent cause of bovine tuberculosis, has been confirmed by mycobacterial culture in African rhinoceros species in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. In this population-based study of the epidemiology of M. bovis in 437 African rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis, Ceratotherium simum), we report an estimated prevalence of 15.4% (95% CI: 10.4 to 21.0%), based on results from mycobacterial culture and an antigen-specific interferon gamma release assay from animals sampled between 2016 and 2020. A significant spatial cluster of cases was detected near the southwestern park border, although infection was widely distributed. Multivariable logistic regression models, including demographic and spatiotemporal variables, showed a significant, increasing probability of M. bovis infection in white rhinoceros based on increased numbers of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) herds in the vicinity of the rhinoceros sampling location. Since African buffaloes are important maintenance hosts for M. bovis in KNP, spillover of infection from these hosts to white rhinoceros sharing the environment is suspected. There was also a significantly higher proportion of M. bovis infection in black rhinoceros in the early years of the study (2016­2018) than in 2019 and 2020, which coincided with periods of intense drought, although other temporal factors could be implicated. Species of rhinoceros, age, and sex were not identified as risk factors for M. bovis infection. These study findings provide a foundation for further epidemiological investigation of M. bovis, a multihost pathogen, in a complex ecosystem that includes susceptible species that are threatened and endangered.

Encouraging the resumption of economic activity after COVID-19: Evidence from a large scale-field experiment in China.

As the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end, governments find themselves facing a new challenge: motivating citizens to resume economic activity. What is an effective way to do so? We investigate this question using a field experiment in the city of Zhengzhou, China, immediately following the end of the city's COVID-19 lockdown. We assessed the effect of a descriptive norms intervention providing information about the proportion of participants' neighbors who have resumed economic activity. We find that informing individuals about their neighbors' plans to visit restaurants increases the fraction of participants visiting restaurants by 12 percentage points (37%), among those participants who underestimated the proportion of neighbors who resumed economic activity. Those who overestimated did not respond by reducing restaurant attendance (the intervention yielded no "boomerang" effect); thus, our descriptive norms intervention yielded a net positive effect. We explore the moderating role of risk preferences and the effect of the intervention on subjects' perceived risk of going to restaurants, as well as the contrast with an intervention for parks, which were already perceived as safe. All of these analyses suggest our intervention worked by reducing the perceived risk of going to restaurants.

Maximizing regional biodiversity requires a mosaic of protection levels.

Protected areas are the flagship management tools to secure biodiversity from anthropogenic impacts. However, the extent to which adjacent areas with distinct protection levels host different species numbers and compositions remains uncertain. Here, using reef fishes, European alpine plants, and North American birds, we show that the composition of species in adjacent Strictly Protected, Restricted, and Non-Protected areas is highly dissimilar, whereas the number of species is similar, after controlling for environmental conditions, sample size, and rarity. We find that between 12% and 15% of species are only recorded in Non-Protected areas, suggesting that a non-negligible part of regional biodiversity occurs where human activities are less regulated. For imperiled species, the proportion only recorded in Strictly Protected areas reaches 58% for fishes, 11% for birds, and 7% for plants, highlighting the fundamental and unique role of protected areas and their environmental conditions in biodiversity conservation.

The role of playgrounds in promoting children's health - a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Active outdoor play is important for children's health and development, and playgrounds provide good places for play. However, the importance of playground use for health and well-being is unclear. Our scoping review aims to create an overview of all research on playground use and health benefits for children. METHODS: Scopus, Web of Science, SportDiscus, and PsycInfo were searched using two search blocks, focusing on 'playground' and 'children' respectively, for publications from 2000 to November 2023. The primary inclusion criterion was examining the relationship between playground use and positive physical, mental, or social health outcomes. Only papers published in English were reviewed. For each publication, we synthesized and condensed the results, categorizing them by playground setting, reported health outcome, participant age group, study design, methodologies, publication's country, year, and 'stage of evidence'. RESULTS: Data from 247 studies were extracted and nearly 80% of these publications were descriptive or exploratory studies. Fifty-two were intervention studies. Adding playground markings to schoolyards led to increased physical activity. Greening schoolyards had mainly positive effects on social and mental health. In Early Childhood Education and Care, renewing play structures had a positive effect on physical activity in three publications. All Public Open Space interventions we found were different, with mixed effects on health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence provides good arguments for policy makers, city planners and school-leaders to invest in adding playground markings in schoolyards as this will likely result in more physical activity. The evidence for the health benefits of investing in new play structures indicated that tailoring the playground to local needs is important as 'one size does not fit all' and playgrounds need to be designed as engaging and interesting places for children's play if they are to generate health benefits. Investing in 'greening' playgrounds is likely to result in social and mental health benefits for children, but does not always result in more physical activity. The research field needs more efficacy and effectiveness studies, and in particular replication and scale-up studies to demonstrate which type of playground interventions are successful. PROTOCOL: The review protocol was registered at Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/UYN2V ).

Measuring ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity for comprehensive conservation in Giant Panda National Park.

China announced the development of its first 5 national parks in 2021, the primary objective of which is to conserve the natural state and integrity of natural ecosystems. As such, ecosystem services and biodiversity levels are crucial assessment factors for the parks. For Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), we evaluated ecological sensitivity based on water and soil erosion and rocky desertification; ecosystem services based on headwater conservation, soil and water conservation, and biodiversity conservation; and presence of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and sympatric species (e.g., takin [Budorcas taxicolor], Asiatic black bear [Ursus thibetanus]) habitat suitability derived from niche modeling to identify the ecosystem status and assess ecological problems within the park. From our results, we proposed ecologically critical areas to target to meet the park's goals. The suitable habitat for pandas and sympatric species encompassed 62.98% of the park and occurred mainly in the Minshan Mountains. One quarter of the total area (25.67%) contained areas important for ecosystem services. Ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas covered 88.78% of the park and were distributed mainly in Qionglaishan and Minshan Mountains. This coverage indicated that there was much habitat for pandas and sympatric species but that the ecosystems in GPNP are vulnerable. Therefore, ecologically critical areas encompassed all suitable habitats for all the species examined and areas important and extremely important to ecosystem service provision,ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas, encompassed 15.17% of panda habitat, accounted for 16.37% of the GPNP area, and were distributed mainly in the Minshan Mountains. Our results indicated where conservation efforts should be focused in the park and that by identifying ecologically critical areas managers can provide targeted protection for wildlife habitat and ecosystems and effectively and efficiently protect the composite ecosystem. Additionally, our methods can be used to inform development of new national parks.

Medición de los servicios ambientales y la sensibilidad ecológica para una conservación integral en el Parque Nacional del Panda Gigante Resumen China anunció el crecimiento de sus primeros cinco parques nacionales en 2021, con el objetivo principal de conservar el estado natural y la integridad de los ecosistemas naturales. Para ello, los servicios ambientales y los niveles de biodiversidad son factores cruciales de evaluación para los parques. Para poder identificar el estado del ecosistema y evaluar los problemas ecológicos dentro del Parque Nacional del Panda Gigante (PNPG), analizamos la sensibilidad ecológica con base en la erosión del agua y del suelo y la desertificación rocosa; los servicios ambientales con base en el suministro de conservación del agua, del agua y del suelo y de la biodiversidad; y la idoneidad de hábitat del panda gigante (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) y de especies simpátricas (takín [Budorcas taxicolor], oso negro asiático [Ursus thibetanus]) derivada del modelo de nichos. A partir de nuestros resultados proponemos enfocarnos en áreas ecológicamente críticas para lograr los objetivos del parque. El hábitat idóneo para los pandas y las especies simpátricas englobó el 62.98% del parque y se ubicó principalmente en las montañas Minshan. Un cuarto del área total (25.67%) albergó áreas importantes para los servicios ambientales. Las áreas ecológicamente sensibles y extremadamente sensibles cubrieron el 88.78% del parque y se distribuyeron en las montañas Minshan y Qionglaishan. Esta cobertura indica que hay bastante hábitat para los pandas y las especies simpátricas pero que los ecosistemas en el PNPG son vulnerables. Por lo tanto, las áreas ecológicamente críticas englobaron todos los hábitats para todas las especies analizadas y todas las áreas importantes y extremadamente importantes para el suministro de servicios ambientales. Las áreas ecológicamente sensibles y extremadamente sensibles englobaron el 15.17% del hábitat del panda, representaron el 16.37% del área del PNPG y se localizaron principalmente en las montañas Minshan. Nuestros resultados indican en dónde se deben enfocar los esfuerzos de conservación dentro del parque y que, si identificamos las áreas ecológicamente críticas, los gestores pueden proporcionar una protección focalizada para el hábitat y los ecosistemas y así proteger efectiva y eficientemente el ecosistema compuesto. Además, nuestro método puede usarse para guiar el desarrollo de nuevos parques nacionales.

大熊猫国家公园能实现物种和生态完整性的多重保护 中国在2021年宣布设立首批5个国家公园, 保护自然生态系统的真实性和完整性是其优先目标, 而生态系统服务和生物多样性水平是关键的评估要素。大熊猫国家公园作为首批唯一以单一物种命名的国家公园, 通过评估其生态系统服务、生态敏感性, 同时结合大熊猫及同域分布物种(羚牛、亚洲黑熊)的栖息地适宜性, 以揭示其国家公园内生态系统的状态及其面临的问题, 明确其生态关键区以实现多重保护的目标。我们发现大熊猫国家公园包含了超过62.98%的大熊猫和同域物种的适宜栖息地, 主要分布在岷山山系;其次, 大熊猫国家公园包含了25.67%的生态系统服务重要区域和高达88.78%的生态敏感区域, 主要分布在岷山山系和邛崃山山系。这表明尽管大熊猫国家公园内包含了大熊猫及同域物种所需的大面积适宜栖息地, 但是其生态系统具有较强的脆弱性。若将同时包含大熊猫及同域物种的适宜栖息地、生态系统服务重要和极重要区、生态敏感和极敏感的区域定义为生态关键区, 其面积占比为16.37%, 覆盖了15.17%的大熊猫栖息地, 主要分布在岷山山系。因此, 基于生态关键区制定新的科学的、针对性的保护措施, 不仅可以更好的来保护野生动物栖息地和应对生态系统的威胁, 而且也有效且高效地保护多重生态系统。.

Cooling Effect of Green Spaces on Urban Heat Island in a Chinese Megacity: Increasing Coverage versus Optimizing Spatial Distribution.

Enhancing the cooling effectiveness of green spaces (GSs) is crucial for improving urban thermal environments in the context of global warming. Increasing GS coverage and optimizing its spatial distribution individually proved to be effective urban cooling measures. However, their comparative cooling effectiveness and potential interaction remain unclear. Here, using the moving window approach and random forest algorithm, we established a robust model (R2 = 0.89 ± 0.01) to explore the relationship between GS and land surface temperature (LST) in the Chinese megacity of Guangzhou. Subsequently, the response of LST to varying GS coverage and its spatial distribution was simulated, both individually and in combination. The results indicate that GS with higher coverage and more equitable spatial distribution is conducive to urban heat mitigation. Increasing GS coverage was found to lower the city's average LST by up to 4.73 °C, while optimizing GS spatial distribution led to a decrease of 1.06 °C. Meanwhile, a synergistic cooling effect was observed when combining both measures, resulting in additional cooling benefits (0.034-0.341 °C). These findings provide valuable insights into the cooling potential of GS and crucial guidance for urban green planning aimed at heat mitigation in cities.

Reimagining Urban Spaces: Green Spaces, Obesity, and Health Resilience in an Era of Extreme Heat.

Record-breaking heat waves intensified by climate change pose both environmental and health threats, necessitating a balance between urban sustainability and well-being. Extreme heat and limited green space access are drivers of obesity prevalence, with decreased proximity to green spaces correlating with higher rates of obesity in nearby communities. In contrast, access to such green spaces fosters physical activity, well-being, and community cohesion, especially crucial in marginalized communities facing health disparities due to historical policies like redlining and underinvestment in social gathering spaces. Despite challenges, green space investment offers healthcare savings and environmental gains, necessitating a shift in perception towards viewing green spaces as essential for urban living. As heat waves persist, integrating health and sustainability in urban planning is paramount. Health and medical communities must play an active role in advocating for equitable access to urban green spaces, as they possess influential positions to address climate-related health disparities through localized advocacy.

Individual and Neighborhood Level Predictors of Children's Exposure to Residential Greenspace.

Inequities in urban greenspace have been identified, though patterns by race and socioeconomic status vary across US settings. We estimated the magnitude of the relationship between a broad mixture of neighborhood-level factors and residential greenspace using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and compared predictive models of greenspace using only neighborhood-level, only individual-level, or multi-level predictors. Greenspace measures included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree canopy, and proximity of the nearest park, for residential locations in Shelby County, Tennessee of children in the CANDLE cohort. Neighborhood measures include socioeconomic and education resources, as well as racial composition and racial residential segregation. In this sample of 1012 mother-child dyads, neighborhood factors were associated with higher NDVI and tree canopy (0.021 unit higher NDVI [95% CI: 0.014, 0.028] per quintile increase in WQS index); homeownership rate, proximity of and enrollment at early childhood education centers, and racial composition, were highly weighted in the WQS index. In models constrained in the opposite direction (0.028 unit lower NDVI [95% CI: - 0.036, - 0.020]), high school graduation rate and teacher experience were highly weighted. In prediction models, adding individual-level predictors to the suite of neighborhood characteristics did not meaningfully improve prediction accuracy for greenspace measures. Our findings highlight disparities in greenspace for families by neighborhood socioeconomic and early education factors, and by race, suggesting several neighborhood indicators for consideration both as potential confounders in studies of greenspace and pediatric health as well as in the development of policies and programs to improve equity in greenspace access.

Association Between Park Use and Moderate-to-Vigorous Activity During COVID-19 Years among a Cohort of Low-Income Youth.

Neighborhood parks are important venues to support moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) activity. There has been a noticeable increase promoting physical activity among youth in neighborhood parks. This paper aims to assess the association between park use and MVPA among low-income youth in a large urban area. We recruited a cohort of 434 youth participants during the COVID pandemic years (2020-2022) from low-income households in Washington, D.C. We collected multiple data components: accelerometry, survey, and electronic health record data. We explored the bivariate relationship between the accelerometer-measured daily MVPA time outcome and survey-based park use measures. A mixed-effect model was fitted to adjust the effect estimate for participant-level and time-varying confounders. The overall average daily MVPA time is 16.0 min (SD = 12.7). The unadjusted bivariate relation between daily MVPA time and frequency of park visit is 1.3 min of daily MVPA time per one day with park visits (p < 0.0001). The model-adjusted estimate is 0.7 daily MVPA minutes for 1 day with park visit (p = 0.04). The duration of a typical park visit is not a significant predictor to daily MVPA time with or without adjustments. The initial COVID outbreak in 2020 resulted in a significant decline in daily MVPA time (- 4.7 min for 2020 versus 2022, p < 0.0001). Park visit frequency is a significant predictor to low-income youth's daily MVPA time with considerable absolute effect sizes compared with other barriers and facilitators. Promoting more frequent park use may be a useful means to improve low-income youth's MVPA outcome.

Anoplocephalid tapeworms in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) inhabiting the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

Cestodes of the family Anoplocephalidae parasitize a wide range of usually herbivorous hosts including e.g. rodents, ungulates, primates, elephants and hyraxes. While in some hosts, the epidemiology of the infection is well studied, information is lacking in others. In this study of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif, an extensive sample set comprising adult cestodes collected via necropsies, proglottids shed in feces, and finally, fecal samples from both night nests and identified individuals were analysed. Anoplocephala gorillae was the dominant cestode species detected in night nest samples and individually known gorillas, of which only 1 individual hosted a Bertiella sp. It was shown that the 2 species can be distinguished through microscopy based on egg morphology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for diagnostics of both species were provided. Sequences of mitochondrial (cox 1) and nuclear (ITS1, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA) markers were used to evaluate the phylogenetic position of the 2 cestodes detected in mountain gorillas. Both types of fecal samples, from night nests and from identified individuals, provided comparable information about the prevalence of anoplocephalid cestodes, although the analysis of samples collected from identified gorilla individuals showed significant intra-individual fluctuation of A. gorillae egg shedding within a short period. Therefore, multiple samples should be examined to obtain reliable data for wildlife health management programmes, especially when application of anthelmintic treatment is considered. However, while A. gorillae is apparently a common symbiont of mountain gorillas, it does not seem to impair the health of its host.

Association of greenspaces exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiometabolic conditions are major contributors to the global burden of disease. An emerging body of evidence has associated access to and surrounding public open spaces (POS) and greenspace with cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, body mass index (BMI), hypertension (HTN), blood glucose (BG), and lipid profiles. This systematic review aimed to synthesize this evidence. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. Four electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles published until July 2023. All observational studies which assessed the association of greenspace and POS with cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, BMI, HTN, BG, and lipid profiles were included and reviewed by two authors independently. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the I2 index and Cochrane's Q test. Random/fixed effect meta-analyses were used to combine the association between greenspace exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: Overall, 118 relevant articles were included in our review. The majority of the articles were conducted in North America or Europe. In qualitative synthesis, access or proximity to greenspaces or POS impacts BMI and blood pressure or HTN, BG, and lipid profiles via various mechanisms. According to the random effect meta-analysis, more access to greenspace was significantly associated with lower odds of HTN (odds ratio (OR): 0.81, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.61-0.99), obesity (OR: 0.83, 95% CIs: 0.77-0.90), and diabetes (OR:0.79, 95% CI: 0.67,0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that greenspace accessibility is associated with some cardiometabolic risk factors. Improving greenspace accessibility could be considered as one of the main strategies to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors at population level.

Childhood sound disturbance and sleep problems in Alpine valleys with high levels of traffic exposures and greenspace.

Sound disturbance and sleep problems are regarded as the most common adverse effects of environmental noise but evidence of the role of air pollution and greenspace is scant. This is especially true for children who find themselves in a sensitive developmental period and experience their environment differently than adults. This study examined the joint effects of traffic exposures and residential greenspace on child sound disturbance and sleep problems via perceptions of neighborhood quality. We used cross-sectional data for 1251 schoolchildren (8-12 years) in the Tyrol region of Austria/Italy. Questionnaires provided information on sociodemographic and housing factors, perceived neighborhood quality, sound disturbance in different situations, and sleep problems. Modelled acoustic indicators included day-evening-night sound levels and the highest percentile level, and night-time sound level and a bespoke sleep disturbance index. Nitrogen dioxide served as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution. The normalized difference vegetation index was calculated as a measure of residential greenspace, and presence of a domestic garden was self-reported. Results showed that higher level of traffic-related exposures was positively associated with sound disturbance and sleep problems, while living in a greener area, especially in a house with a garden, was associated with lower sound disturbance and less sleep problems even in the presence of traffic. Traffic exposures contributed to more unfavorable, and greenspace to more positive perceptions in terms of traffic-related stressors, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and general satisfaction with the neighborhood. This indirect path seemed more important for greenspace than for traffic exposures. In conclusion, it seems advantageous to combine traffic-related mitigation with improving access to greenspace in interventions for supporting the acoustic comfort of children during day and nighttime. Even highly nature-dominated environments could still benefit from proximal green infrastructure, especially from domestic gardens.

Urban green spaces and behavioral and cognitive development in children: A health impact assessment of the Barcelona "Eixos Verds" Plan (Green Axis Plan).

BACKGROUND: Urban environments lack natural features, while nature exposure in cities has been associated with health benefits, including children's neurodevelopment. Through extensive street greening, Barcelona's Eixos Verds (Green Axis) Plan enhances safety, environment, and climate resilience. We aimed to assess the Eixos Verds Plan's potential impact on children's behavioral and cognitive development due to the increased green space expected under the Eixos Verds implementation. METHODS: We performed a quantitative health impact assessment for Barcelona children at census-tract level (n = 1068). We assessed the Eixos Verds Plan's impact by comparing baseline green space distribution with the proposed plan, translating it into percentage green area (%GA) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). By combining these exposure metrics with child-specific risk estimates and population data, we estimated potential improvements in children's behavioral and cognitive development due to full Eixos Verds implementation. RESULTS: With the full Eixos Verds implementation, citywide, %GA increased by 6.9% (IQR: 6.4%; range: 0-23.1%) and NDVI by 0.065 (IQR: 0.083; range: 0.000-0.194). Child behavioral and cognitive development outcomes are expected to improve compared to the baseline. Based on NDVI increases, children's Total Difficulties and Hyperactivity/Inattention scores, based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), are projected to decrease by 5% (95% CI: 0-15%) and 6% (95% CI: 0-17%). Working Memory and Superior Working Memory scores are expected to increase by 4% and 5%, respectively, based on the computerized n-back test, while the Inattentiveness score could be reduced by 1%, based on the computerized attentional test (ANT). INTERPRETATION: Urban greening as planning tool can improve behavioral and cognitive development in city children. Methods and results of our study are applicable to many cities worldwide, and similar results for children of real-life urban greening interventions can be expected.

The relation between proximity to and characteristics of green spaces to physical activity and health: A multi-dimensional sensitivity analysis in four European cities.

INTRODUCTION: Non-communicable diseases are the global disease burden of our time, with physical inactivity identified as one major risk factor. Green spaces are associated with increased physical activity of nearby residents. But there are still gaps in understanding which proximity and what characteristics of green spaces can trigger physical activity. This study aims to unveil these differences with a rigorous sensitivity analysis. METHODS: We gathered data on self-reported health and physical activity from 1365 participants in selected neighbourhoods in Porto, Nantes, Sofia, and Høje-Taastrup. Spatial data were retrieved from OpenStreetMap. We followed the PRIGSHARE guidelines to control for bias. Around the residential addresses, we generated seven different green space indicators for 15 distances (100-1500 m) using the AID-PRIGSHARE tool. We then analysed each of these 105 green space indicators together with physical activity and health in 105 adjusted structural equation models. RESULTS: Green space accessibility and green space uses indicators showed a pattern of significant positive associations to physical activity and indirect to health at distances of 1100 m or less, with a peak at 600 m for most indicators. Greenness in close proximity (100 m) had significant positive effects on physical activity and indirect effects on health. Surrounding greenness showed positive direct effects on health at 500-1100 m and so do green corridors in 800 m network distance. In contrast, a high quantity of green space uses, and surrounding greenness measured in a larger radius (1100-1500 m) showed a negative relationship with physical activity and indirect health effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insight into how green space characteristics can influence health at different scales, with important implications for urban planners on how to integrate accessible green spaces into urban structures and public health decision-makers on the ability of green spaces to combat physical inactivity.

Green and blue space exposure and non-communicable disease related hospitalizations: A systematic review.

The global increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents a critical public health concern. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to natural environments may reduce the risk of developing NCDs through multiple pathways. The present systematic review aims to synthesize and evaluate the observational evidence regarding associations between exposure to green and blue spaces and hospital admissions related to NCDs. A comprehensive literature search strategy was conducted in Embase (Ovid), PubMed, and Web of Science. The risk of bias and quality of the evidence were assessed using The Navigation Guide methodology, an approach specifically designed for environmental health research. Of 3060 search results, 17 articles were included. Notably, the majority of the studies (n = 14; 82.4%) were published from 2020 onwards. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 6; 35.3%) and China (n = 4; 23.5%). Exposure to green spaces was assessed through all studies, while only three included blue spaces. In terms of study design, cohort design was employed in nearly half of the studies (n = 8; 47.1%), followed by case-crossover design (n = 3, 17.6%). Over 75% of the included studies (n = 13) had a high or probably high rating in the risk of bias assessment. The studies encompassed diverse NCD outcome domains; cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) (n = 10), respiratory diseases (RSDs) (n = 2), heat-related diseases (n = 1), metabolic diseases (n = 2), cancer (n = 1), neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) (n = 2), and mental health disorders (n = 2). The present review suggests that a clear link between blue space exposure and NCD hospital admissions is not evident. However, exposure to green spaces appears to predominantly have a protective effect, although the direction of the association varies across different outcome domains. The heterogeneity among the outcome domains together with the limited number of studies, emphasizes the need for more robust evidence.