Community Greening to Grow Healthy Children: Parks, Obesity, and Beyond Frances E. (Ming) Kuo University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign COC San Diego, 2011
Brought to you by COC, NRPA Andrea Faber Taylor Rebekah Coley, Liesette Brunson, Stephen DePooter, Malen Bacaicoa, Ann Schlosser, ByoungSuk Kweon, Angela Wiley, Irene Miles, Lisa Canin, William Sullivan, Johanna Weber, XiaoYing Wang US Forest Service and NUCFAC, CREES US HUD
Greening and Obesity Beyond parks
Greening and Obesity The larger context
Greening and Obesity Beyond parks
Research has focused on parks, exercise Places for intentional physical activity Findings are mixed New focus: barriers, quality of greenspace
But parks, exercise are not the whole picture stealth exercise, incidental physical activity Informal play, monmotorized transport Findings in this area are promising
More-than-parks measures predict Time outdoors physical activity 2.5x Cooper et al, 2010 Time outdoors physical activity, reduced overweight Cleland et al, 2009 NDVI residential greenness obesity Liu et al 2007, Bell et al 2008
Where physical activity occurs Parks 5-10% parks Roads 6-20% Gardens 16-27% Grasslands (rural) 18% Farmlands (rural) 22% Jones et al 09; similar findings in Bringolf-Isler 2010
Greenness and time outdoors Humans, including kids, are phytotropic Green common spaces used 2x as much Coley et al 1998
Implications: Greening and Obesity Need to include sites of informal, stealth physical activity; need more GPS work Need to look at how to increase PA in those sites (e.g. malls, streets) Opportunities for activity-friendly env ts without buying land
Greening and Obesity The larger context
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat?
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat? Why would we ask?
Hints from ethology, zoo/lab animals Habitat selection theory -- mobile organisms will prefer fit habitats If you want to know what constitutes a fit habitat for an organism, see what habitats it likes What environments do humans prefer?
Humans prefer environments incorporating natural/green elements 25 years of landscape preference research A strong and ubiquitous finding
Humans prefer environments incorporating natural/green elements 25 years of landscape preference research A strong and ubiquitous finding Green environments may be essential to a healthy human habitat
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat?
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat? How would we tell?
More hints from ethology Organisms are tuned to their environments in subtle and profound ways Organisms housed in unfit habitats undergo social, psychological, and physical breakdown
If green env ts are essential components of a healthy human habitat, then Humans deprived of them will undergo social, psychological, and physical breakdown
Robert Taylor Homes without greenspace Robert Taylor Homes with greenspace
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat? Specific findings
Signs of breakdown Social Breakdown
Signs of breakdown Social Breakdown Strength of community Courtesy, mutual support Supervision of children outdoors Loneliness Graffiti, noise, litter Loitering, illegal activity, property crime Aggression, violence Violent Crime
Signs of breakdown Social Breakdown Strength of community Courtesy, mutual support (interpersonal behavior) Supervision of children outdoors Loneliness Graffiti, noise, litter (delinquent behavior) Loitering, illegal activity, property crime Aggression, violence Violent Crime
Signs of breakdown Psychological Breakdown
Signs of breakdown Psychological Breakdown Attention Academic achievement Addressing major life challenges, resilience Impulse control Delay of gratification AD/HD symptoms Clinical depression, anxiety disorders
Signs of breakdown Psychological Breakdown Attention Academic achievement Addressing major life challenges, resilience Impulse control Delay of gratification AD/HD symptoms Clinical depression, anxiety disorders*
Signs of breakdown Physical Breakdown
Signs of breakdown Physical Breakdown Poorer recovery from surgery Self-reported physical health Immune functioning Mortality Blood glucose in diabetic persons Obesity Asthma Physician diagnoses of disease
Signs of breakdown Physical Breakdown Poorer recovery from surgery Self-reported physical health Immune functioning Mortality Blood glucose in diabetic persons Obesity Asthma Physician diagnoses of disease*
Are green environments essential to a healthy human habitat? How strong is the evidence?
Many, diverse health outcomes
Many, diverse health outcomes Digit Span Backwards, SDMT, creativity, impulse control (Matching Familiar Figures, Category Matching, Stroop), delay of gratification, reaction times, aggression and violence, incidents of selfmutilation, psychological distress, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, residential satisfaction, mood, blood pressure, heart rate, ADHD symptoms, mortality, self-reported health, health symptoms, use of health care services, cardiac health, Beck Depression Inventory
Many, diverse research designs and exposures to nature
Many, diverse research designs and exposures to nature window view from home (% natural), # trees in view from home, ecological restoration volunteering, gardening, recreational activities in nature, photos of nature, paintings of nature, nature sounds, videos of nature walks, actual nature walks, vacations in natural and other settings, greenness of residential landscape, %age natural in 1 km radius, #parks and public greenspaces in GIS, skyview occlusion
Many, diverse populations
Many, diverse populations college sophomores, children 5-18 years old, older adults, much older adults, urban public housing residents, Americans, Japanese, Dutch people, individuals with ADHD, individuals with Alzheimer s, children in residential treatment facilities for conduct disorders, incarcerated prisoners, cholecystectomy patients, urban, rural, suburban, small town residents
Green environments are essential to a healthy human habitat Emergent themes and implications
When we green children s environments to fight obesity Parks and open space Neighborhoods, streets, schools and anywhere else children spend time
When we green children s environments to fight obesity We are also improving their academic achievement and capacity for self-discipline Reducing clinical anxiety, depression, ADHD (and probably delinquent behavior, asthma, and other diseases) And making their parents and grandparents healthier as well
Green environments are essential to a healthy human habitat Is anyone listening?
Policymakers are listening City of Chicago: $USD 10 M tree planting; Green Urban Design metrics US Conference of Mayors Urban Forestry Resolution American Society of Landscape Architects Sustainable Sites Initiative (LEED-style credit system)
Chicago Tribune $USD10 M tree-planting 20,000 trees -- more than ever in Chicago s history growing evidence trees can help temper social ills
US Conf of Mayors Resolution in support of urban and community forestry