Association of urban green space with general health and wellbeing in adults from Greece

Association of urban green space with general health and wellbeing in adults from GreeceKanelli, Argyro Anna1, Kalantzi, Olga-Ioanna11 Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, 81100, GreeceBackground: Despite the mounting evidence of health benefits of green spaces, their quantitative and qualitative attributes in the way they influence health responses are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term changes in physiological and psychological responses upon exposure to an urban green space, and explore the mediators that affect exposure.Methods: Twenty-four participants were exposed to an urban (downtown Athens) and a green space (Tatoi forest) in November 2019. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), salivary cortisol (SC) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were measured before and after a 60-minute walk. Post intervention, the participants filled an open-ended question of their sensory experience, and their positive or negative emotions/reactions. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the correlation between the health outcomes and moderators of exposure.Results: Green space exposure significantly reduced all physiological responses (SBP: p<0.01, DBP: p<0.05, PR: p<0.01, SC: p<0.01), while urban exposure only reduced salivary cortisol levels (p<0.01). Green space exposure resulted in a significant decrease of all negative POMS subscales and the Total Mood Disturbance (TMD), and an increase in all positive subscales. Post intervention results between the urban and green space showed a significant decrease for PR (p<0.05), SC (p<0.05), and TMD (p<0.01), in favor of the natural environment. All five senses were engaged in the forest, provoking positive reactions, in comparison to the city where four senses were reported, causing mostly negative feelings.Conclusions: Exposure to green spaces can alleviate stress and improve overall mood, while helping individuals experience their surroundings with all senses, compared to urban areas.