Urban forests and public health: Analyzing the role of citizen perceptions in their conservation intentions

Abstract

Air pollution poses significant environmental and public health challenges in urban areas, leading to millions of premature deaths annually. Urban forests have emerged as nature-based solutions to mitigate these issues, yet the role of health-related perceptions in influencing citizen engagement in forest conservation remains underexplored. This study was designed to address this research gap by employing the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine citizens’ conservation intentions, according to their perception of the influence of air pollution, its associated health risks, and the role of urban forests in mitigating these challenges. Data was collected from 422 residents of Tehran using a structured questionnaire, focusing on various HBM constructs: perceived susceptibility, benefits, barriers, severity, self-efficacy, and cues to action. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the impacts of these constructs on conservation intentions of participants. The results indicated significant positive influences of perceived susceptibility (β = 0.28), severity (β = 0.32), benefits (β = 0.24), and self-efficacy (β = 0.27) on conservation intentions. Notably, perceived barriers did not significantly deter intentions (β = −0.08). These findings underscore the importance of health perceptions in motivating the public to participate in conservation of urban forest. By integrating health and environmental frameworks, this research offers actionable insights for policymakers and urban planners to enhance community engagement in preserving urban green spaces, ultimately contributing to improved public health and environmental sustainability.