Date of Award

January 2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Kai Chen

Second Advisor

Nicola Hawley

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are escalating global health concerns, greenspace may support healthierweight, and air pollution may mitigate the effect, but its effects across population subgroups and over time remain underexplored. According to the longitudinal analysis, this study found that greenspace exposure within 300 m was more strongly associated with lower BMI and overweight risk than exposure within 1000 m; for example, the presence of greenspace within 300 m reduced the odds of overweight (OR = 0.791, 95% CI: 0.672–0.933), while the same measure within 1000 m was associated with higher odds of obesity (OR = 1.275, 95% CI: 1.08–1.505). Stratified analyses revealed stronger protective effects among older adults (e.g., BMI reduction of 0.282 kg/m² for age >60, β = -0.282, 95% CI: -0.378, -0.185), females (e.g., OR for obesity = 0.714, 95% CI: 0.713–0.714), and low-income groups (e.g., OR for obesity = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.795– 0.963). Group-based trajectory analysis indicated that higher greenspace exposure was associated with more favorable BMI trajectories over time, particularly showing flatter or declining patterns among normal-weight individuals across younger age groups. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing greenspace, especially in underserved areas, and call for targeted urban planning policies that ensure equitable access to high-quality, publicly available green environments.

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

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