title: The relationships between urban parks, residents' physical activity, and mental health benefits: A case study from Beijing, China.
abstract: The role of urban parks in improving public health has been analyzed in the context of urban design in developed countries, but has seldom been considered in developing countries such as China. Previous studies have found positive correlations between parks and residents' physical activity and mental health status. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate respondents' physical activity status and its relationship with urban parks. The impact of different activities engaged in during park use on positive mental health was examined. The average physical activity level of the sample was 92.7 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. Park users were more active in all forms of physical activity, except transport walking, than non-users. The presence of a park within 500 m from home and park use were significantly associated with total physical activity. Physical activity in parks significantly restored visitors' moods and energy levels, and interaction with nature brought mental health benefits in terms of relaxation and self-perceived confidence. Overall, this study found a positive correlation of urban parks with public physical activity and positive mental health benefits. However, further research is needed to improve the understanding of this relationship in the context of China.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Hongxiao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: lifeng@rcees.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Hunan Agricultural University, China.
authors.forename: Juanyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Water, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Yuyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000068476:Beijing; D002648:Child; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068316:Parks, Recreational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Active lifestyle; Green space; Mental health benefits; Physical activity; Public health