IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i10p1270-d1485180.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Neighborhood Greenspace, Extreme Heat Exposure, and Sleep Quality over Time among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Children

Author

Listed:
  • Rouzbeh Rahai

    (Human Centered Design Department, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA)

  • Nancy M. Wells

    (Human Centered Design Department, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA)

  • Gary W. Evans

    (Human Centered Design Department, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Psychology Department, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA)

Abstract

Children’s sleep is essential for healthy development, yet over a third of children in the United States experience inadequate sleep. Environmental factors can influence sleep: greenspace exposure can promote better sleep, while heat exposure can disrupt sleep. As global climate change raises nighttime and daytime temperatures, greenspace may mitigate the negative effects of heat stress on sleep. We examined the direct effects of neighborhood greenspace and extreme heat exposure on sleep and the statistical interaction between greenspace and heat exposure on sleep outcomes among a nationally representative, four-year longitudinal sample of 8580 U.S. children ages 9–10 years at baseline. Hierarchical linear models incorporated a neighborhood greenspace measure: percent open park space within individual child census tracts, a measure of extreme neighborhood heat exposure during the summer months, and extensive individual and neighborhood-level covariates to test main and interaction effects on child sleep quality. Neighborhood open park space was related to better sleep quality, after controlling for covariates. Additionally, neighborhood extreme heat exposure was associated with worse sleep quality. A two-way interaction was found between neighborhood open park space and neighborhood heat exposure on sleep quality, suggesting open park space mitigated the negative effects of heat on sleep. The results indicate the potential contribution of open greenspace to improve child sleep and enhance resilience to extreme heat, which is an adverse outcome of climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Rouzbeh Rahai & Nancy M. Wells & Gary W. Evans, 2024. "Neighborhood Greenspace, Extreme Heat Exposure, and Sleep Quality over Time among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-12, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1270-:d:1485180
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1270/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1270/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Juuli-Mari Kokkonen & Henna Vepsäläinen & Anna Abdollahi & Hanna Paasio & Samuli Ranta & Maijaliisa Erkkola & Eva Roos & Carola Ray, 2021. "Associations between Parent–Child Nature Visits and Sleep, Physical Activity and Weight Status among Finnish 3–6-Year-Olds," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-11, November.
    2. Cohen, D.A. & McKenzie, T.L. & Sehgal, A. & Williamson, S. & Golinelli, D. & Lurie, N., 2007. "Contribution of public parks to physical activity," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 509-514.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark P.C. Cherrie & Niamh K. Shortt & Catharine Ward Thompson & Ian J. Deary & Jamie R. Pearce, 2019. "Association Between the Activity Space Exposure to Parks in Childhood and Adolescence and Cognitive Aging in Later Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Xiaohu Zhang & Scott Melbourne & Chinmoy Sarkar & Alain Chiaradia & Chris Webster, 2020. "Effects of green space on walking: Does size, shape and density matter?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(16), pages 3402-3420, December.
    3. Boncinelli, Fabio & Riccioli, Francesco & Marone, Enrico, 2015. "Do forests help to keep my body mass index low?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 11-17.
    4. Mingxin Liu & Chenxi Chen & Jiaqi Yan, 2023. "Identifying Park Spatial Characteristics That Encourage Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity among Park Visitors," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    5. Shirelle H. Hallum & Marilyn E. Wende & Farnaz Hesam Shariati & Kelsey M. Thomas & Anna L. Chupak & Eleanor Witherspoon & Andrew T. Kaczynski, 2024. "Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Stephanie A. Prince & Elizabeth A. Kristjansson & Katherine Russell & Jean-Michel Billette & Michael Sawada & Amira Ali & Mark S. Tremblay & Denis Prud’homme, 2011. "A Multilevel Analysis of Neighbourhood Built and Social Environments and Adult Self-Reported Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Ottawa, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-26, October.
    7. Olga L. Sarmiento & Ana Paola Rios & Diana C. Paez & Karoll Quijano & Rogério César Fermino, 2017. "The Recreovía of Bogotá, a Community-Based Physical Activity Program to Promote Physical Activity among Women: Baseline Results of the Natural Experiment Al Ritmo de las Comunidades," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, June.
    8. Antonios Kolimenakis & Alexandra D. Solomou & Nikolaos Proutsos & Evangelia V. Avramidou & Evangelia Korakaki & Georgios Karetsos & Georgios Maroulis & Eleftherios Papagiannis & Konstantinia Tsagkari, 2021. "The Socioeconomic Welfare of Urban Green Areas and Parks; A Literature Review of Available Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-26, July.
    9. Elliott, Lewis R. & White, Mathew P. & Taylor, Adrian H. & Herbert, Stephen, 2015. "Energy expenditure on recreational visits to different natural environments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 53-60.
    10. Mohammad Paydar & Asal Kamani Fard & Verónica Gárate Navarrete, 2023. "Design Characteristics, Visual Qualities, and Walking Behavior in an Urban Park Setting," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, September.
    11. Zhou, Min & Tan, Shukui & Tao, Yinghui & Lu, Yongzhong & Zhang, Zuo & Zhang, Lu & Yan, Danping, 2017. "Neighborhood socioeconomics, food environment and land use determinants of public health: Isolating the relative importance for essential policy insights," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 246-253.
    12. Jelena Vukomanovic & Barron J. Orr, 2014. "Landscape Aesthetics and the Scenic Drivers of Amenity Migration in the New West: Naturalness, Visual Scale, and Complexity," Land, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-24, April.
    13. Meryem Hayir-Kanat & Jürgen Breuste, 2020. "Outdoor Recreation Participation in Istanbul, Turkey: An Investigation of Frequency, Length, Travel Time and Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, January.
    14. Sandra C Lapham & Deborah A Cohen & Bing Han & Stephanie Williamson & Kelly R Evenson & Thomas L McKenzie & Amy Hillier & Phillip Ward, 2016. "How important is perception of safety to park use? A four-city survey," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(12), pages 2624-2636, September.
    15. El Murr, Karl & Boisjoly, Genevieve & Waygood, E.O.D., 2023. "Measuring accessibility to parks: Analyzing the relationship between self-reported and calculated measures," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    16. Congbao Xu & Jing Wang & Yanxue Li & Weijun Gao, 2023. "Evaluation and Optimization Design of Coastal Cycling Environment Based on Importance Performance Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    17. Tiana C. L. Moreira & Jefferson L. Polizel & Itamar de Souza Santos & Demóstenes F. Silva Filho & Isabela Bensenor & Paulo A. Lotufo & Thais Mauad, 2020. "Green Spaces, Land Cover, Street Trees and Hypertension in the Megacity of São Paulo," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, January.
    18. Bittencourt, Tainá A. & Giannotti, Mariana, 2023. "Evaluating the accessibility and availability of public services to reduce inequalities in everyday mobility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    19. Léonie Uijtdewilligen & Clarice Nhat-Hien Waters & Su Aw & Mee Lian Wong & Angelia Sia & Anbumalar Ramiah & Michael Wong & Falk Müller-Riemenschneider, 2019. "The Park Prescription Study: Development of a community-based physical activity intervention for a multi-ethnic Asian population," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-24, June.
    20. Haiyun Xu & Tobias Plieninger & Jørgen Primdahl, 2019. "A Systematic Comparison of Cultural and Ecological Landscape Corridors in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-32, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1270-:d:1485180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.