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Spatiotemporal Contextual Uncertainties in Green Space Exposure Measures: Exploring a Time Series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices

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  • Marco Helbich

    (Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Environmental health studies on green space may be affected by contextual uncertainties originating from the temporality of environmental exposures and by how the spatial context is delimitated. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is frequently used as an outdoor green space metric capturing the chlorophyll content in the vegetation canopy. This study assessed (1) whether residential NDVI exposures vary over time, and (2) how these time series of NDVI scores vary across spatial context delimitations. Multi-temporal NDVI data for the period 2006–2017 for the Netherlands were obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite platform. Annual NDVI exposures were determined across multiple buffer sizes (i.e., 300, 600, and 1000 m) centered on a random sample of 10,000 Dutch residential addresses. Besides the descriptive statistics, pairwise Wilcoxon tests and Fligner–Killeen tests were used to determine mean and variance differences in annual NDVI scores across buffer widths. Heat maps visualized the correlation matrices. Significance levels were adjusted for multiple hypotheses testing. The results indicated that annual NDVI metrics were significantly correlated but their magnitude varied notably between 0.60 to 0.97. Numerous mean and variance differences in annual NDVI exposures were significant. It seems that the disparate buffers (i.e., 300 and 1000 m) were less strongly correlated, possibly because variance heterogeneity is reduced in larger buffers. These results have been largely consistent over the years and have passed Monte Carlo-based sensitivity tests. In conclusion, besides assessing green space exposures along different buffer sizes, our findings suggest that green space–health studies should employ NDVI data that are well-aligned with epidemiological data. Even an annual temporal incompatibility may obscure or distort green space–health associations. Both strategies may diminish contextual uncertainties in environmental exposure assessments.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Helbich, 2019. "Spatiotemporal Contextual Uncertainties in Green Space Exposure Measures: Exploring a Time Series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:5:p:852-:d:212248
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Susanne Boers & Karin Hagoort & Floortje Scheepers & Marco Helbich, 2018. "Does Residential Green and Blue Space Promote Recovery in Psychotic Disorders? A Cross-Sectional Study in the Province of Utrecht, The Netherlands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-8, October.
    2. Birute Balseviciene & Liuda Sinkariova & Regina Grazuleviciene & Sandra Andrusaityte & Inga Uzdanaviciute & Audrius Dedele & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, 2014. "Impact of Residential Greenness on Preschool Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-14, June.
    3. Mei-Po Kwan, 2018. "The Limits of the Neighborhood Effect: Contextual Uncertainties in Geographic, Environmental Health, and Social Science Research," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 108(6), pages 1482-1490, November.
    4. Jamie Pearce & Niamh Shortt & Esther Rind & Richard Mitchell, 2016. "Life Course, Green Space and Health: Incorporating Place into Life Course Epidemiology," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-11, March.
    5. Hyeonjin Song & Kevin James Lane & Honghyok Kim & Hyomi Kim & Garam Byun & Minh Le & Yongsoo Choi & Chan Ryul Park & Jong-Tae Lee, 2019. "Association between Urban Greenness and Depressive Symptoms: Evaluation of Greenness Using Various Indicators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-13, January.
    6. Rencai Dong & Yonglin Zhang & Jingzhu Zhao, 2018. "How Green Are the Streets Within the Sixth Ring Road of Beijing? An Analysis Based on Tencent Street View Pictures and the Green View Index," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-22, June.
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    1. Chengcheng Liu & Yao Li & Jing Li & Chenggang Jin & Deping Zhong, 2022. "The Effect of Psychological Burden on Dyslipidemia Moderated by Greenness: A Nationwide Study from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Lingling Su & Suhong Zhou, 2022. "Long-Term Residential Environment Exposure and Subjective Wellbeing in Later Life in Guangzhou, China: Moderated by Residential Mobility History," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.

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