TY - JOUR
T1 - The association of park use and park perception with quality of life using structural equation modeling
AU - Kodali, Hanish P.
AU - Ferris, Emily B.
AU - Wyka, Katarzyna
AU - Evenson, Kelly R.
AU - Dorn, Joan M.
AU - Thorpe, Lorna E.
AU - Huang, Terry T.K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Kodali, Ferris, Wyka, Evenson, Dorn, Thorpe and Huang.
PY - 2023/1/25
Y1 - 2023/1/25
N2 - Introduction: The literature is limited on the impact of neighborhood parks on quality of life (QoL) and the mechanism linking them. Methods: In this paper, we applied the structural equation model to data from a cross-sectional sample of 650 participants in low-income communities of New York City, we examined the associations of neighborhood park use vs. park perception and QoL, and whether these associations were mediated through self-reported perceived stress. We also examined whether park use mediated the relationship between park perception and QoL. Results: We found that park use had a significant but weak association with QoL (standardized β = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02, 0.15, p = 0.02), but this relationship was not mediated by self-reported stress. Park perception was more strongly associated with QoL than park use (standardized β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.30, p < 0.01), and this was partly mediated by self-reported stress (indirect effect- standardized β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.13, p < 0.01) and, to a lesser extent, by park use (indirect effect- standardized β = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.02, p = 0.01). Discussion: Having well-perceived parks appears to be an important factor for QoL independent of park use, suggesting that quality parks may benefit everyone in a community beyond park users. This strengthens the argument in favor of increasing park investment as a strategy to improve population wellbeing.
AB - Introduction: The literature is limited on the impact of neighborhood parks on quality of life (QoL) and the mechanism linking them. Methods: In this paper, we applied the structural equation model to data from a cross-sectional sample of 650 participants in low-income communities of New York City, we examined the associations of neighborhood park use vs. park perception and QoL, and whether these associations were mediated through self-reported perceived stress. We also examined whether park use mediated the relationship between park perception and QoL. Results: We found that park use had a significant but weak association with QoL (standardized β = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02, 0.15, p = 0.02), but this relationship was not mediated by self-reported stress. Park perception was more strongly associated with QoL than park use (standardized β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.30, p < 0.01), and this was partly mediated by self-reported stress (indirect effect- standardized β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.13, p < 0.01) and, to a lesser extent, by park use (indirect effect- standardized β = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.02, p = 0.01). Discussion: Having well-perceived parks appears to be an important factor for QoL independent of park use, suggesting that quality parks may benefit everyone in a community beyond park users. This strengthens the argument in favor of increasing park investment as a strategy to improve population wellbeing.
KW - New York City
KW - built environment
KW - low-income neighborhoods
KW - park use
KW - perceived stress
KW - perception of neighborhood park
KW - quality of life
KW - structural equation model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147717212&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85147717212&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1038288
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1038288
M3 - Article
C2 - 36761118
AN - SCOPUS:85147717212
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 1038288
ER -