Social contacts as a possible mechanism behind the relation between green space and health
Open accessAbstract
This study explored whether social contacts are an underlying mechanism behind the relationship between green space and health. We measured social contacts and health in 10,089 residents of the Netherlands and calculated the percentage of green within 1 and a 3km radius around the postal code coordinates for each individual's address. After adjustment for socio-economic and demographic characteristics, less green space in people's living environment coincided with feelings of loneliness and with perceived shortage of social support. Loneliness and perceived shortage of social support partly mediated the relation between green space and health.
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Benefits of natural environments could be gained through increased physical activity and social connections experienced in greenspaces like parks.
“Benefits of natural environments could be gained through increased physical activity [41, 42] and social connections experienced in greenspaces like parks [41, 43].”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Maas, J., van Dillen, S. M. E., Verheij, R. A., & Groenewegen, P. P.
- Affiliations
- Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NL)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Maas, Jolanda
- Venue
- Health & Place
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 586-595
- ISSN
- 1353-8292 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2083307460
- Cited by
- 1,195
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 71 · 2025: 80 · 2024: 109 · 2023: 107 · 2022: 117 · 2021: 120 · 2020: 99 · 2019: 95 · 2018: 69 · 2017: 68 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 35
- FWCI
- 8.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.nivel.nl
- Licence
- Locations
- Health & Place (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
- Keywords
- green spaces, social contact, loneliness, social support, health, mediation, built environment, urban vegetation, neighborhood environment
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Environment Design, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Plants, Residence Characteristics, Social Behavior, Young Adult
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