Green space quality and adolescent mental health: do personality traits matter? 2022

Xiaoqi Feng, and Thomas Astell-Burt, and Marie Standl, and Claudia Flexeder, and Joachim Heinrich, and Iana Markevych
School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia; School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: xiaoqi.feng@unsw.edu.au.

Adolescents, especially females, tend to experience poorer mental health if they are higher in introversion and neuroticism. As a result, they also may have more to gain from having quality green space (e.g. parks) nearby to enable restoration, but this remains tested. Cross-sectional data on 2946 adolescents aged 16-17y were extracted from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Multilevel linear regressions assessed association between parent/caregiver green space quality perception with self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Difficulties Scores (TDS) and internalising (e.g. anxiety) and externalising (e.g. fidgetiness) subscales. Models were weighted for representativeness, accounted for spatial clustering within postcodes, and adjusted for geographic stratum and socioeconomic confounders. This was followed by adjustment for introversion and neuroticism, and then three-way interaction terms between each trait, green space quality and sex to assess for potential effect modification. Quality green spaces was associated with higher TDS (β = 1.506; SE = 0.371), internalising (β = 0.982; SE = 0.220) and externalising (β = 0.518; SE = 0.234) scores (i.e. poorer mental health). Introversion was associated with higher TDS (β = 1.416; SE = 0.089), higher internalising (β = 1.233; SE = 0.050) and higher externalising scores (β = 0.181; SE = 0.056). Similar associations were observed for neuroticism and TDS (β = 2.283; SE = 0.084), internalising (β = 1.627; SE = 0.046) and externalising scores (β = 0.656; SE = 0.056). Mean levels of introversion were similar for girls and boys (1.73 vs 1.76, p = 0.6573), but mean levels of neuroticism were notably higher in girls than boys (2.42 and 1.67, p < 0.0001). Likelihood ratio tests indicated three-way interactions improved models analysing the internalising subscale outcome only. Green space quality made no difference to associations between introversion or neuroticism and internalising scores in males. Quality green space was associated with 3.2 and 2.1 reductions in mean internalising scores among females with the highest levels of introversion or neuroticism, respectively. Individual differences in psychological traits may predispose some adolescents, and females especially, to restoration from green space.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008137 Longitudinal Studies Studies in which variables relating to an individual or group of individuals are assessed over a period of time. Bogalusa Heart Study,California Teachers Study,Framingham Heart Study,Jackson Heart Study,Longitudinal Survey,Tuskegee Syphilis Study,Bogalusa Heart Studies,California Teachers Studies,Framingham Heart Studies,Heart Studies, Bogalusa,Heart Studies, Framingham,Heart Studies, Jackson,Heart Study, Bogalusa,Heart Study, Framingham,Heart Study, Jackson,Jackson Heart Studies,Longitudinal Study,Longitudinal Surveys,Studies, Bogalusa Heart,Studies, California Teachers,Studies, Jackson Heart,Studies, Longitudinal,Study, Bogalusa Heart,Study, California Teachers,Study, Longitudinal,Survey, Longitudinal,Surveys, Longitudinal,Syphilis Studies, Tuskegee,Syphilis Study, Tuskegee,Teachers Studies, California,Teachers Study, California,Tuskegee Syphilis Studies
D008297 Male Males
D008603 Mental Health Emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual or group. Mental Hygiene,Health, Mental,Hygiene, Mental
D010551 Personality Behavior-response patterns that characterize the individual. Personalities
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000068316 Parks, Recreational An area of land open to the public for enjoyment. Green Space,Community Parks,National Parks,Urban Parks,Community Park,Green Spaces,National Park,Park, Community,Park, National,Park, Recreational,Park, Urban,Parks, Community,Parks, National,Parks, Urban,Recreational Park,Recreational Parks,Space, Green,Urban Park
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths

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