Nature and Health
Nature and Health
The relationship between nature and health is a growing area of research that explores how exposure to and interaction with nature can enhance human wellbeing, both physically and psychologically. We investigate the behaviors and values that mediate these relationships, examining how interactions with urban ecosystems can positively impact mental health. Understanding these relationships can inform urban planning and governance strategies that prioritize access to nature and green spaces to promote public health and wellbeing.
RELATED RESEARCH
Attributes and benefits of urban green space visits – Insights from the City of Vancouver
This research explores the relationships between attributes of a green space visit (green space type, duration, activities, company) and 1) health-related benefits (including mental restoration, aesthetic appreciation), and 2) visitor demographics and health status. Exploratory analyses of our online survey show that the type of green space chosen has little relevance for benefits but that…
Achieving the Urban Tree Trifecta: Scenario Modelling for Salubrious, Resilient, and Diverse Urban Forests in Densifying Cities
Background: Urban forests can provide nature-based solutions (NBS) to complex climate-change challenges via the provision of ecosystem services such as shade and cooling that offset increased risks of chronic diseases and excess mortality. They also confer indirect health benefits by providing regulating ecosystem services that can facilitate climate-change mitigation efforts: increased shade can encourage shifts…
British Columbia, Canada, as a bellwether for climate-driven respiratory and allergic disorders
Touching briefly on health effects related to climate change, we orient this Paradigms and Perspectives article within the context of British Columbia, Canada, in hopes that highlighting challenges in British Columbia will be informative and inspirational to others. We describe issues faced in our context, in which extreme climatic events have accelerated dramatically in a…
The influence of early-life residential exposure to different vegetation types and paved surfaces on early childhood development: A population-based birth cohort study
Background: Growing evidence suggests that exposure to green space is associated with improved childhood health and development, but the influence of different green space types remains relatively unexplored. In the present study, we investigated the association between early-life residential exposure to vegetation and early childhood development and evaluated whether associations differed according to land cover…
Neighborhood environmental exposures and incidence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A population-based cohort study
Background: Emerging studies have associated low greenspace and high air pollution exposure with risk of child attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Population-based studies are limited, however, and joint effects are rarely evaluated. We investigated associations of ADHD incidence with greenspace, air pollution, and noise in a population-based birth cohort. Methods: We assembled a cohort from administrative…
Intercultural learning in contested space: The biocultural realities of global cities through the lens of Vancouver, Canada
Chapter 10 in Urban nature: enriching belonging, wellbeing and bioculture
The association between natural environments and childhood mental health and development: A systematic review and assessment of different exposure measurements
Several studies have assessed the relationship between exposure to natural environments (NEs) and childhood mental health and development. In most cases, a positive association has been found, but results are inconsistent, and the strength of association is unclear. This inconsistency may reflect the heterogeneity in measurements used to assess NE. This systematic review aims to…
Natural environments and perceived health in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Background: Growing evidence demonstrates the health benefits of natural environments (NE), but the effect of different NE types remains relatively unexplored. This study assesses the association between perceived health and different types of NEs by analysing both access (i.e., living within proximity to a public park) and exposure (i.e., high percentage of NE in residential…