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Neighborhood green spaces and use of social services in an older urban population

Mattisson, Kristoffer LU orcid ; Stroh, Emilie LU orcid ; Carlsson, Gunilla LU ; Fänge, Agneta Malmgren LU orcid ; Lethin, Connie LU orcid and Axmon, Anna LU orcid (2023) In Environmental Advances 14.
Abstract

With an aging population, an increased burden is put on national and regional healthcare and social systems. In Sweden, municipalities are required to provide inhabitants with the social services needed to enable them to live an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. Urban green spaces (UGS) may increase physical activity and social interaction, as well as improve wellbeing and health. For older people, UGS close to the residency could thus be a protective factor, improving their possibility to live an independent life without any need of social services. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential association of neighborhood UGS and use of social services in an older population. All inhabitants 65 years or... (More)

With an aging population, an increased burden is put on national and regional healthcare and social systems. In Sweden, municipalities are required to provide inhabitants with the social services needed to enable them to live an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. Urban green spaces (UGS) may increase physical activity and social interaction, as well as improve wellbeing and health. For older people, UGS close to the residency could thus be a protective factor, improving their possibility to live an independent life without any need of social services. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential association of neighborhood UGS and use of social services in an older population. All inhabitants 65 years or older living in the urban areas of the two Swedish cities Malmö or Kristianstad in 2015 (n = 42707 were included in this register-based repeated cross-sectional study. The possible associations between UGS (total, publicly available and quiet; exposure) with 300 m from the residency, determined using Geographical information systems (GIS), and use of social services (outcome) were investigated adjusting for individual and area sociodemographic factors. Although the positive effect of UGS on health is well established, no consistent associations between UGS and use of social services were found, nor did stratified analyses reveal any clear differences in the effect of urban green on social service use between sociodemographic groups.

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; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ageing, GIS, Public health, Register study, Social service use, Urban green space
in
Environmental Advances
volume
14
article number
100448
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85177238259
ISSN
2666-7657
DOI
10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100448
project
Health promoting environments for an aging population – a register and GIS study to assess effects of urban green and low-noise neighborhoods on social service and nursing home use
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b691e852-7af3-48bf-9493-709e18f5d42e
date added to LUP
2023-12-28 13:31:19
date last changed
2024-02-10 20:10:17
@article{b691e852-7af3-48bf-9493-709e18f5d42e,
  abstract     = {{<p>With an aging population, an increased burden is put on national and regional healthcare and social systems. In Sweden, municipalities are required to provide inhabitants with the social services needed to enable them to live an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. Urban green spaces (UGS) may increase physical activity and social interaction, as well as improve wellbeing and health. For older people, UGS close to the residency could thus be a protective factor, improving their possibility to live an independent life without any need of social services. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential association of neighborhood UGS and use of social services in an older population. All inhabitants 65 years or older living in the urban areas of the two Swedish cities Malmö or Kristianstad in 2015 (n = 42707 were included in this register-based repeated cross-sectional study. The possible associations between UGS (total, publicly available and quiet; exposure) with 300 m from the residency, determined using Geographical information systems (GIS), and use of social services (outcome) were investigated adjusting for individual and area sociodemographic factors. Although the positive effect of UGS on health is well established, no consistent associations between UGS and use of social services were found, nor did stratified analyses reveal any clear differences in the effect of urban green on social service use between sociodemographic groups.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mattisson, Kristoffer and Stroh, Emilie and Carlsson, Gunilla and Fänge, Agneta Malmgren and Lethin, Connie and Axmon, Anna}},
  issn         = {{2666-7657}},
  keywords     = {{Ageing; GIS; Public health; Register study; Social service use; Urban green space}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Advances}},
  title        = {{Neighborhood green spaces and use of social services in an older urban population}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100448}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100448}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}