Arodudu, Oludunsin, Foley, Ronan, Taghikhah, Firouzeh, Brennan, Michael, Mills, Gerald and Ningal, Tine (2023) A health data led approach for assessing potential health benefits of green and blue spaces: Lessons from an Irish case study. Journal of Environmental Management, 345. p. 118758. ISSN 0301-4797
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Abstract
Research producing evidence-based information on the health benefits of green and blue spaces often has within
its design, the potential for inherent or implicit bias which can unconsciously orient the outcomes of such studies
towards preconceived hypothesis. Many studies are situated in proximity to specific or generic green and blue
spaces (hence, constituting a green or blue space led approach), others are conducted due to availability of green
and blue space data (hence, applying a green or blue space data led approach), while other studies are shaped by
particular interests in the association of particular health conditions with presence of, or engagements with green
or blue spaces (hence, adopting a health or health status led approach). In order to tackle this bias and develop a
more objective research design for studying associations between human health outcomes and green and blue
spaces, this paper discussed the features of a methodological framework suitable for that purpose after an initial,
year-long, exploratory Irish study. The innovative approach explored by this study (i.e., the health-data led
approach) first identifies sample sites with good and poor health outcomes from available health data (using data
clustering techniques) before examining the potential role of the presence of, or engagement with green and blue
spaces in creating such health outcomes. By doing so, we argue that some of the bias associated with the other
three listed methods can be reduced and even eliminated. Finally, we infer that the principles and paradigm
adopted by the health data led approach can be applicable and effective in analyzing other sustainability
problems beyond associations between human health outcomes and green and blue spaces (e.g., health, energy,
food, income, environment and climate inequality and justice etc.). The possibility of this is also discussed within
this paper.
Item Type: | Article |
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Keywords: | Green space; Blue space; Human health; Data clustering techniques; Health data led approach; Environmental justice; |
Academic Unit: | Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography |
Item ID: | 18974 |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118758 |
Depositing User: | David Fitzpatrick |
Date Deposited: | 03 Oct 2024 12:57 |
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Environmental Management |
Publisher: | Elsevier Ltd |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mu.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/18974 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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