New publication
How much greenery do we actually experience in our daily lives—and does it matter for our health?
Many studies estimate green space exposure based on where people live. But our daily experiences are shaped not only by our neighborhoods, but also by where we walk and cycle.
In our latest paper, led by our former MSc student Xiao Cui, we combine GPS trajectories, accelerometer data, and satellite-derived vegetation information to quantify people’s green space exposure during active travel. We then examine how these daily experiences relate to subjective health in younger and older adults.
Our findings suggest that people who are generally exposed to more greenery during active travel also report better subjective health. Interestingly, the day-to-day relationship between green exposure and health was stronger among younger adults, highlighting that these associations may differ across age groups.
The study contributes a framework for measuring active-mobility green space exposure and provides new insights into how everyday interactions with green space relate to health and well-being.