More green, less lonely? A longitudinal cohort study

Astell-Burt, T (通讯作者),Univ Wollongong, Fac Social Sci, Sch Hlth & Soc, Populat Wellbeing & Environm Res Lab PowerLab, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
2022-2-18
Background Urban greening may reduce loneliness by offering opportunities for solace, social reconnection and supporting processes such as stress relief. We (i) assessed associations between residential green space and cumulative incidence of, and relief from, loneliness over 4 years; and (ii) explored contingencies by age, sex, disability and cohabitation status. Methods Multilevel logistic regressions of change in loneliness status in 8049 city-dwellers between 2013 (baseline) and 2017 (follow-up) in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study. Associations with objectively measured discrete green-space buffers (e.g. parks) (<400, <800 and <1600 m) were adjusted for age, sex, disability, cohabitation status, children and socio-economic variables. Results were translated into absolute risk reductions in loneliness per 10% increase in urban greening. Results The absolute risk of loneliness rose from 15.9% to 16.9% over the 4 years; however, a 10% increase in urban greening within 1.6 km was associated with lower cumulative incident loneliness [odds ratio (OR) = 0.927, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.862 to 0.996; absolute risk reduction = 0.66%]. Stronger association was observed for people living alone (OR = 0.828, 95% CI = 0.725 to 0.944). In comparison to people with <10% green space, the ORs for cumulative incident loneliness were 0.833 (95% CI = 0.695 to 0.997), 0.790 (95% CI = 0.624 to 1.000) and 0.736 (95% CI = 0.549 to 0.986) for 10-20%, 20-30% and >30% green space, respectively. Compared with the <10% green-space reference group with 13.78% incident loneliness over 4 years and conservatively assuming no impact on incident loneliness, associations translated into absolute risk reductions of 1.70%, 2.26% and 2.72% within populations with 10-20%, 20-30% and >30% green space, respectively. These associations were stronger again for people living alone, with 10-20% (OR = 0.608, 95% CI = 0.448 to 0.826), 20-30% (OR = 0.649, 95% CI = 0.436 to 0.966) and >30% (OR = 0.480, 95% CI = 0.278 to 0.829) green space within 1600 m. No age, sex or disability-related contingencies, associations with green space within 400 or 800 m or relief from loneliness reported at baseline were observed. Conclusions A lower cumulative incidence of loneliness was observed among people with more green space within 1600 m of home, especially for people living alone. Potential biopsychosocial mechanisms warrant investigation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
卷号:51|期号:1|页码:99-110
ISSN:0300-5771|收录类别:SCIE
语种
英语
来源机构
University of Wollongong; University of Sydney; Chinese Center for Disease Control & Prevention; National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control & Prevention; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences - Peking Union Medical College; Peking Union Medical College; University of Wollongong; Uppsala University; Uppsala University; University of Wollongong; ISGlobal; Pompeu Fabra University; CIBER - Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red; CIBERESP; University of London; University College London; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; University of New South Wales Sydney
资助信息
This study was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Boosting Dementia Research Leader Fellowship 1140317 (Astell-Burt) and National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship 1148792 (Feng). AstellBurt and Feng were also jointly supported by grant 1101065 from the National Health and Medical Research Council project and grant GC15005 from the Green Cities Fund -Hort Innovation Limited, with coinvestment from the University of Wollongong Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Wollongong Global Challenges initiative, and the Australian Government. McMunn was supported by the UK Economic and Social Research Council International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health (ICLS) [grant number ES/J019119/1]. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
被引频次(WOS)
29
被引频次(其他)
29
180天使用计数
9
2013以来使用计数
32
EISSN
1464-3685
出版年
2022-2-18
DOI
10.1093/ije/dyab089
WOS学科分类
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
学科领域
循证公共卫生
关键词
Loneliness isolation restoration social contacts parks nature cities panel data COVID-19
资助机构
National Health and Medical Research Council Boosting Dementia Research Leader Fellowship(National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia) National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship(National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia) National Health and Medical Research Council(National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia) Green Cities Fund -Hort Innovation Limited UK Economic and Social Research Council International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health (ICLS)