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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1442182
This article is part of the Research Topic Greening Urban Spaces and Human Health, Volume II View all 25 articles

How Green Space Justice in Urban Built-up Areas Affects Public Mental Health: A Moderated Chain Mediation Model

Provisionally accepted
Tian Dong Tian Dong Qikang Zhong Qikang Zhong *Bangguo Yue Bangguo Yue
  • School of Architecture and Art, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background:Green and blue spaces, as crucial components of urban ecosystems, significantly impact the physical and mental health of residents. However, the mechanisms through which Green/Blue Space Justice influence residents' health remain unclear. Methods: This study aims to explore the impact of green spaces on public psychological responses, physical activity, and mental health from a justice perspective, and to examine the moderating role of blue spaces in this relationship. The research was conducted in selected communities within the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration in Hunan Province, China. A total of 801 valid questionnaires were collected through field visits and online surveys. The study uses an improved Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to assess green space accessibility. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and moderation effect analysis to reveal the relationships between variables. Results: The findings indicate that Green Space Justice has a significant positive impact on psychological responses, physical activity, and mental health; psychological responses and physical activity play crucial mediating roles between Green Space Justice and mental health; and Green Space Justice significantly affects mental health through a chain mediation path involving psychological responses and physical activity. Moreover, Blue Space Justice significantly moderates the impact of Green Space Justice on psychological responses and physical activity, but does not have a significant direct impact on mental health. Conclusion: This study enriches the theory of green space justice by revealing the mechanisms through which it influences mental health via psychological responses and physical activity. It provides a scientific basis for the development of healthy cities. Additionally, it recommends that urban planning should prioritize the equitable distribution and high accessibility of both green and blue spaces to comprehensively enhance residents' physical and mental well-being. Policymakers should consider prioritizing the accessibility of high-quality green spaces for vulnerable communities during urban renewal and expansion processes to reduce social health inequalities and promote broader public health outcomes.

    Keywords: Green/Blue Space Justice, physical and psychological responses, Mental Health, Structural Equation Modeling, Moderation effect, healthy city construction

    Received: 01 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dong, Zhong and Yue. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Qikang Zhong, School of Architecture and Art, Central South University, Changsha, 130012, Hunan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.