Importance of neighbourhood green space highlighted by new study
19 Mai 2014
Researchers at the Sustainable Places Research Institute have been studying the complex relationship between physical activity in elderly men and their local environment, confirming the importance of neighbourhood green space in supporting and maintaining active ageing.
Using data collected from the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS) and green space data collected from high resolution Landmap true colour aerial photography, researchers investigated the effect of the quantity of neighbourhood green space and the variation in neighbourhood vegetation on participation in physical activity for 1,010 men aged 66 and over in Caerphilly County Borough, Wales, UK.
The results demonstrated that elderly men living in neighbourhoods with more green space have higher levels of participation in regular physical activity. This provides a basis for the future development of novel interventions that aim to increase levels of physical activity in later life, and has implications for planning policy to design, preserve, facilitate and encourage the use of green space near homes.