The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents
Abstract Background Studies investigating associations between natural environments and health outcomes or health behaviors in children and adolescents yielded heterogenous results to date. This may be the result of different geospatial configurations of the natural environment and confounding chara...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Health Geographics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-022-00309-0 |
| _version_ | 1811215491430088704 |
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| author | Carina Nigg Claudia Niessner Alexander Burchartz Alexander Woll Jasper Schipperijn |
| author_facet | Carina Nigg Claudia Niessner Alexander Burchartz Alexander Woll Jasper Schipperijn |
| author_sort | Carina Nigg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Studies investigating associations between natural environments and health outcomes or health behaviors in children and adolescents yielded heterogenous results to date. This may be the result of different geospatial configurations of the natural environment and confounding characteristics of the study population. Thus, we investigated how the relationship between the natural environment and mental health, muscular fitness, and physical activity varies depending on the geospatial configuration of nature and children’s and adolescents’ characteristics. Methods Data were derived from the German Motorik-Modul (MoMo) cohort study (2018–2020) that investigates physical activity, muscular fitness, and health parameters in a national sample of children and adolescents (N = 2843) between four and 17 years (M age = 10.46 ± 3.49 years; 48.3% girls). Mental health was assessed via questionnaire, muscular fitness via standing long jump, and physical activity with 7-day accelerometer measurement. Using geographic information systems, land cover, and land use data, three different nature definitions were applied. Both circular buffers (100–1000 m) and street-network buffers (1000–5000 m) were created for each of the nature definitions. Associations were explored with linear regression models, and interaction analysis was used to investigate how those relationships vary by gender, age, and socio-economic status. Results The relationship between the three outcomes and the natural environment varied considerably depending on the nature definition, buffer size, and buffer type, as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Specifically, when comparing youth with a high socio-economic status to those with a medium socio-economic status, smaller circular buffer distances were related to less physical activity, but larger street-network buffer distances were related to greater mental health problems. Distinct relationships also occurred for youth with low socio-economic status in those relationships, with the pattern being less clear. Conclusions For future health research studies that investigate the role of the natural environment, we argue for the development of an a-priori model that integrates both geospatial considerations (nature definition, buffer type, and buffer size) and conceptual considerations (health outcome/behavior, sample characteristics) based on potentially underlying mechanisms that link the natural environment and the health outcome or behavior under investigation to theoretically underpin the geospatial configuration of the natural environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37ac8950faa44b16a93e813dced6d30e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-072X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Geographics |
| spelling | doaj.art-37ac8950faa44b16a93e813dced6d30e2022-12-22T03:44:13ZengBMCInternational Journal of Health Geographics1476-072X2022-08-0121111310.1186/s12942-022-00309-0The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescentsCarina Nigg0Claudia Niessner1Alexander Burchartz2Alexander Woll3Jasper Schipperijn4Institute of Sport Science, University of BernInstitute of Sport Science, University of BernInstitute of Sport Science, University of BernInstitute of Sport Science, University of BernDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern DenmarkAbstract Background Studies investigating associations between natural environments and health outcomes or health behaviors in children and adolescents yielded heterogenous results to date. This may be the result of different geospatial configurations of the natural environment and confounding characteristics of the study population. Thus, we investigated how the relationship between the natural environment and mental health, muscular fitness, and physical activity varies depending on the geospatial configuration of nature and children’s and adolescents’ characteristics. Methods Data were derived from the German Motorik-Modul (MoMo) cohort study (2018–2020) that investigates physical activity, muscular fitness, and health parameters in a national sample of children and adolescents (N = 2843) between four and 17 years (M age = 10.46 ± 3.49 years; 48.3% girls). Mental health was assessed via questionnaire, muscular fitness via standing long jump, and physical activity with 7-day accelerometer measurement. Using geographic information systems, land cover, and land use data, three different nature definitions were applied. Both circular buffers (100–1000 m) and street-network buffers (1000–5000 m) were created for each of the nature definitions. Associations were explored with linear regression models, and interaction analysis was used to investigate how those relationships vary by gender, age, and socio-economic status. Results The relationship between the three outcomes and the natural environment varied considerably depending on the nature definition, buffer size, and buffer type, as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Specifically, when comparing youth with a high socio-economic status to those with a medium socio-economic status, smaller circular buffer distances were related to less physical activity, but larger street-network buffer distances were related to greater mental health problems. Distinct relationships also occurred for youth with low socio-economic status in those relationships, with the pattern being less clear. Conclusions For future health research studies that investigate the role of the natural environment, we argue for the development of an a-priori model that integrates both geospatial considerations (nature definition, buffer type, and buffer size) and conceptual considerations (health outcome/behavior, sample characteristics) based on potentially underlying mechanisms that link the natural environment and the health outcome or behavior under investigation to theoretically underpin the geospatial configuration of the natural environment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-022-00309-0GISGreen spaceBlue spacePhysical activityMental healthPhysical fitness |
| spellingShingle | Carina Nigg Claudia Niessner Alexander Burchartz Alexander Woll Jasper Schipperijn The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents International Journal of Health Geographics GIS Green space Blue space Physical activity Mental health Physical fitness |
| title | The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| title_full | The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| title_fullStr | The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| title_short | The geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| title_sort | geospatial and conceptual configuration of the natural environment impacts the association with health outcomes and behavior in children and adolescents |
| topic | GIS Green space Blue space Physical activity Mental health Physical fitness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-022-00309-0 |
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