Back to Search
Start Over
Urban Natural Environments, Obesity, and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hispanic Children Living in Inner-City Neighborhoods
- Source :
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 121 (2016), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 13; Issue 1; Pages: 121, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Although a substantial body of literature has provided evidence supporting the positive effects of natural environments on well-being, little has been known about the specific spatial patterns of urban nature in promoting health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children. This study assessed the association that the urban natural environment measured by landscape spatial patterns may have with obesity and HRQOL among Hispanic children. Ninety-two 4th and 5th grade students were recruited from Houston, Texas, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was used to capture the children's HRQOL. The quality of urban natural environments was assessed by quantifying the landscape spatial patterns, using landscape indices generated by Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing. From the bivariate analyses, children's body mass index showed a significantly negative association with their HRQOL. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, the results revealed that larger and more tree areas were positively correlated with children's HRQOL. In addition, those children living in areas with tree patches further apart from each other showed higher HRQOL. This research adds to the current multi-disciplinary area of research on environment-health relationships by investigating the roles of urban greeneries and linking their spatial structures with children's HRQOL.
- Subjects :
- Male
Gerontology
obesity
Geographic information system
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
lcsh:Medicine
Body Mass Index
Trees
health-related quality of life
urban natural environments
children
landscape spatial patterns
green space
GIS
remote sensing
landscape ecology
0302 clinical medicine
Quality of life
Residence Characteristics
Risk Factors
030212 general & internal medicine
Child
Hispanic or Latino
Texas
humanities
Geography
Female
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Environment
Article
03 medical and health sciences
Inner city
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
Cities
Health related quality of life
business.industry
lcsh:R
Urban Health
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Protective Factors
medicine.disease
Obesity
Remote Sensing Technology
Geographic Information Systems
Quality of Life
Spatial ecology
Landscape ecology
business
Body mass index
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16604601
- Volume :
- 13
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c9a01d761c1063d124bb46821e6c771c