Exploring the relationship between forest structure and health

Abstract

There is abundant evidence that green space in urban neighborhood is associated with physical activity and it is well known that physical activity contributes to human health. Physical activity fosters normal growth and development, can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and can make people feel better and function better. Evidences also show that exposure to natural places can lead to positive mental health outcomes, whether a view of nature from a window, being within natural places, or exercising in these environments. The study aims to identify the factors of forest structure and socioeconomic characteristics influencing adults’ physical activity and health. A sample of 148,754 respondents from the Korea Community Health Survey, conducted in 2016, was analyzed. Measures included frequency of physical activity, stress, depression, and landscape metrics of forest patch. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, revealed that larger forest patches and the more irregular shapes were associated with more physical activity. The study also showed that the shape of forest patch and slope were associated with less mental health complaints, whereas composition related landscape metrics were not.