Quantitative evaluation of urban green exposure and its impact on human health: A case study on the 3–30-300 green space rule

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-05, Vol.924, p.171461-171461, Article 171461
• Main Authors: Zheng, Yicheng, Lin, Tao, Hamm, Nicholas A.S., Liu, Jue, Zhou, Tongyu, Geng, Hongkai, Zhang, Junmao, Ye, Hong, Zhang, Guoqin, Wang, Xiaotong, Chen, Tianyi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3–30-300; Green exposure; Green space; Mental health; Physical health; Social health
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171461

Background and aims. Urban green spaces offer various health benefits, yet the impact of comprehensive green exposure criteria on multidimensional health remains unclear. The 3–30-300 green space rule represents the green exposure indicators with specific thresholds. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate urban green exposure in cities and can support investigation of its relationship with human health. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 902 investigated individuals in 261 residential locations aged 11–95 years from Xiamen City, China. 3–30-300 green exposure was calculated using field surveys, GIS, and Baidu Maps Application Programming Interface (API). Physical health data was based on Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI)-2. Mental health was from the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Social health was from a self-constructed evaluation questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted using Geographically Weighted Regression and Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression for global and local effects on green exposure and multidimensional health. Among the investigated individuals, only 3.55 % (32/902) fully meet the 3–30-300 rule in Xiamen. Global results show that individuals achieved at least 30 % vegetation coverage (Yes) is associated with better physical (β: 0.76, p