Health & Place最新文献

{"title":"Walkability in small rural towns: Citizen scientists identify investment in pedestrian infrastructure as key to promoting health and wellbeing","authors":"Kim Jose,&nbsp;Claire Morley,&nbsp;Georgia McGrath,&nbsp;Melanie Davern,&nbsp;Anna Timperio,&nbsp;Yvonne Laird,&nbsp;Samantha Rowbotham,&nbsp;Kate Garvey,&nbsp;Verity Cleland","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The evidence base for how the physical environment hinders or supports walking for people living in rural and regional areas, where residents are at high risk for chronic disease and inactivity, is limited. This study investigated the built, physical environmental and spatial characteristics of small rural towns that influence walkability and identified community priorities for action.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a mixed methods approach this study combined spatial assessments of walkability for 92 rural Australian towns with populations less than 6000 and citizen science approaches. Towns were ranked by a macro-level walkability score, grouped into deciles and one town from each decile selected for a micro-level walkability audit by citizen scientists. Community workshops in each of these towns identifed priorities for action. Audit data were analysed descriptively, workshop data and open-ended responses were analysed thematically.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Towns were categorised as low (N = 4), medium (N = 3) and high (N = 3) walkability with 87 citizen scientists participating in the project. Two major attributes emerged that negatively impacted actual and perceived walkability: traffic safety and pedestrian connectivity. Limited and poorly maintained pedestrian infrastructure underpinned these attributes. Citizen scientists identified strategies for improving walkability including lighting, signage, seating, maintenance of existing paths, and the creation of new trails.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Maintenance of existing and investment in new pedestrian infrastructure is needed to address the traffic safety concerns and pedestrian connectivity challenges impacting walkability in these rural towns. Citizen scientists identified practical solutions to strengthen pedestrian infrastructure to enhance walkability, demonstrating the value of citizen-led planning and rural health promotion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103739"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban mobility responses to wildfire smoke-related air quality advisories in Montréal, Canada","authors":"Daniel Romm,&nbsp;Priyanka Verma,&nbsp;Dan Qiang,&nbsp;Farzaneh Sadeghi,&nbsp;Jenny Zhu,&nbsp;Mackenzie Johnston,&nbsp;Grant McKenzie","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfire smoke events are increasing in frequency and severity, yet evidence on how urban populations modify their mobility in response to air quality advisories remains limited. In this work we apply time-series forecasting modelling to four mobility datasets (bike-share, metro rail, bus, and recreational running). We examine changes to daily activity counts in Montréal, Canada during wildfire smoke-related air quality advisory days from 2022 through 2025. Controlling for seasonality, weather, holidays, and major events, we find that advisories are associated with a shift from active to enclosed transportation modes. Bike-share usage declined while bus and metro ridership significantly increased. Recreational running showed no significant response. Further analysis revealed within-city heterogeneity in these effects. These findings contribute to an emerging literature on urban mobility responses to wildfire smoke and carry implications for public health communication and transportation planning under increasing climate risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103736"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148935466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"More than shelter: Exploring the role of social and affordable housing in shaping women's access to physical activity in Canada","authors":"Madeleine D. Sheppard-Perkins,&nbsp;Candace Roberts,&nbsp;Kristina M. Epifano,&nbsp;Nadine Simpson,&nbsp;Jackie Kennelly,&nbsp;Francine E. Darroch","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This qualitative study examines how social and affordable housing (SAH) shapes women's access to recreational physical activity (PA), an important contributor to physical and mental wellbeing and social connection. Drawing on interviews with 73 women with lived or living experience of SAH who participated in a broader trauma- and violence-informed physical activity (TVIPA) study across three Canadian housing contexts, we used reflexive thematic analysis to explore how women experienced their housing environments and how these environments influenced opportunities for movement and community engagement.</div><div>First, housing stability fostered emotional safety, stress reduction, and routine - conditions that made participation in PA possible. Second, the material features of SAH acted as both an enabler and barrier - while stable housing reduced barriers related to safety and cost, cramped units, inadequate maintenance, and limited or unsafe green space constrained women's ability to be active. Third, the geographic placement of SAH may produce “physical activity deserts,” where women were located far from services, transit, and social networks, making PA opportunities inaccessible or unsustainable. In contrast, the communities with intentionally designed communal spaces or nearby maintained parks supported greater participation. Findings indicate that SAH must be understood as more than shelter and revealed that housing policy and design, while often well-intentioned, may inadvertently limit residents' opportunities for PA and community connection. Integrating movement-supportive design, co-located services, and trauma- and violence-informed principles into housing policy and planning is essential for advancing equitable access to PA and promoting women's wellbeing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103737"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148972620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring differential exposure, susceptibility, & adaptability as dimensions of vulnerability for U.S. counties across the Pandemic","authors":"Marynia Kolak,&nbsp;Aresha Martinez-Cardoso,&nbsp;Mandela Gadri,&nbsp;James Keane,&nbsp;Qinyun Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103734","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103734"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148908344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leaving home for health care: An examination of the determinants of intercity patient mobility for obstetric care in Hubei Province, China using spatial econometric models","authors":"Xiaomin Sun,&nbsp;Yongling Yang,&nbsp;Xinran Chen,&nbsp;Zhuolin Tao,&nbsp;Yang Cheng,&nbsp;Ling Feng,&nbsp;Shaoshuai Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The uneven distribution of high-quality medical resources and intercity patient mobility have attracted increasing attention. However, evidence from developing contexts such as China remains limited, and the multidimensional determinants of these patterns are not yet well understood. On the basis of obstetric inpatient records in Hubei Province, a push–pull–barrier framework and spatial econometric models are used to examine the determinants of intercity patient mobility for obstetric care at tertiary hospitals. The results reveal that 6.30% of obstetric patients seek care across prefecture boundaries. As the provincial center that attracts patients from elsewhere, Wuhan plays a pronounced role, and the areas surrounding Wuhan experience high ratios of intercity patient mobility. Spatial econometric analyses demonstrate that insufficient local medical resources, long travel distances to local hospitals, and proximity to regional medical centers significantly promote intercity patient mobility, whereas limited insurance support and poor transportation accessibility act as institutional and geographical barriers. These findings provide policy insights for the governance of cross-regional patient mobility and the regional planning of medical resources, particularly in the context where medical resources are highly concentrated and medical insurance is administratively fragmented.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103696"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148255253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Home and school urban food environments in relation to childhood overweight and obesity in Madrid","authors":"Luis Carmona-Rosado,&nbsp;Julia Díez,&nbsp;Roberto Valiente,&nbsp;Pedro Gullón,&nbsp;Alba Gasque,&nbsp;José Manuel Díaz-Olalla,&nbsp;Manuel Franco","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate the association between the availability of unhealthy food outlets in children's home and school environments and overweight/obesity in Madrid, while exploring effect modification by sex and family affluence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used individual-level data from a survey of 5,961 children aged 3 to 12 years. We created 400-m and 800-m street-network buffers around home and school addresses and counted the number of unhealthy food outlets within home, school, and combined home-school food environments. We estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using robust Poisson regression models adjusted for family affluence and population density. We also fitted stratified models by sex and family affluence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Children with greater availability of unhealthy food outlets had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity, with stronger associations observed for the combined home-school food environment than for home-only or school-only environments. In stratified analyses, we observed positive associations with overweight among boys and with obesity among girls. Also, associations varied by family affluence, being stronger both overweight and obesity among children from more affluent families.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Unhealthy food availability in children's everyday environments may contribute to overweight and obesity, with differential patterns by sex and family affluence. Considering home and school environments jointly may capture more relevant spatial exposures than examining each setting separately.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103698"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148311104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Socializing smartly: Differentiated health benefits from online and place-based in-person socialization among older adults in urban China","authors":"Zili Huang,&nbsp;Xuanyi Nie,&nbsp;Longfeng Wu,&nbsp;Chan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the relationship between digitally mediated and spatially embedded forms of socialization and self-reported health among older adults in urban China, while also exploring the moderating role of physical mobility. Using community-based survey data of adults aged 60 and above living in urban Hangzhou, we adopted a multilevel modeling approach and found that online socialization is significantly associated with better health, even after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Meanwhile, the place-based in-person socialization showed a positive but nonsignificant association with health in the fully adjusted model. Further interaction analyses indicate that physical mobility significantly moderates the relationship between online socialization and health. Specifically, higher levels of online socialization are significantly associated with better health among older adults with low to average mobility, but this association attenuates and is no longer statistically distinguishable from zero among those with higher physical mobility. In contrast, physical functioning does not significantly moderate the association between place-based in-person socialization and health. These findings suggest that online socialization may serve as a compensatory social resource for older adults facing physical constraints and offer several implications. First, they highlight the importance of digital platforms as a protective social resource for older adults, particularly those with mobility constraints. Second, the study highlights the need to consider heterogeneity in both the socialization modalities and individual functional capacity when designing tailored health-promoting programs for the aging population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103699"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148341648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal studies of neighbourhood social cohesion and mental health: a systematic review with meta-analysis","authors":"Dawn-Li Blair,&nbsp;Heidi Eccles,&nbsp;Asia Akther,&nbsp;Ishika Obeegadoo,&nbsp;Ali Abud,&nbsp;Vangel Matic,&nbsp;Mila Kingsbury,&nbsp;Candace I.J. Nykiforuk,&nbsp;Tara Elton-Marshall,&nbsp;James B. Kirkbride,&nbsp;Ian Colman","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103702","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103702","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This review aimed to examine how neighbourhood social cohesion has been defined and operationalized in longitudinal mental health research, and determine its associations with depression, anxiety, suicidality, psychological distress, and positive mental health across the lifecourse.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Relevant articles were identified on February 6, 2024, in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Eligible studies used quantitative longitudinal designs. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for Cohort Studies (NOS). Included articles were synthesized using direction of effect narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-analysis. Reporting was guided by the PRISMA-2020 statement.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Narrative synthesis included 42 articles representing 30 independent study samples, with the majority of articles on depression (n = 26). Out of a maximum score of nine, the median NOS score was seven (interquartile range = 2, range = 5, 9); higher scores indicate lower risk of bias. Overall, based on direction of effect, 28 articles reported positive associations between neighbourhood social cohesion and better mental health outcomes (17 were statistically significant). Meta-analysis of 12 depression articles found that higher neighbourhood social cohesion was associated with lower depression scores (n = 62,677, β = −0.054, 95%CI = −0.091, -0.018).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Higher neighbourhood social cohesion is longitudinally associated with lower risk of depression; evidence for other mental health outcomes remains limited. While multi-item scales have been widely used to capture the multidimensional nature of neighbourhood social cohesion, no single definition of neighbourhood or method of measuring neighbourhood social cohesion was consistently used. Efforts towards establishing a consensus would enhance comparability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103702"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accessing Home: Lessons in podcasting geographies of disability","authors":"Meagan Miller,&nbsp;Damian Collins,&nbsp;Joshua Evans,&nbsp;Zachary Weeks","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines podcasting as both a research method and a knowledge mobilization tool within disability geography. It does so with reference to <em>Accessing Home</em>, a narrative podcast involving disabled people living in social and affordable housing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It focuses on how podcasting can produce and disseminate knowledge about the socio-spatial dimensions of disability, grounded in lived experiences. It argues that podcasting can effectively communicate experiences to audiences through storytelling, narration, and accessible digital distribution. One key to this communication is the preservation of participant voice, which can foster affective engagement. Strategies for enhancing the accessibility of podcasts are identified and described, including multimodal dissemination and production of original transcripts. By reflecting on the process and outcomes of podcast production, the article demonstrates how podcasting advances geographies of disability scholarship and offers practical guidance for researchers adopting similar approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103700"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148378801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the care home walls: how organisational and neighbourhood environments influence community access for residents living with dementia","authors":"Miguel Padeiro,&nbsp;Flávia Borges-Machado,&nbsp;Oscar Ribeiro,&nbsp;Liliana Sousa,&nbsp;Ângela Freitas,&nbsp;Paula Santana,&nbsp;Clarissa Giebel","doi":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103710","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103710","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maintaining meaningful access to the surrounding community is increasingly recognised as a key component of well-being, quality of life, independence, identity, and social citizenship for people living with dementia. Institutions often act as gatekeepers, mediating residents' access to the surrounding neighbourhood. Yet little empirical evidence exists on how residential care facilities act as institutional mediators of of residents’ access to the neighbourhood beyond the institution’s premises. This cross-sectional study draws on survey data from 423 directors of Portuguese care homes to examine: (i) the extent to which residents with dementia are permitted to go outside and under what conditions; (ii) how frequently they engage in individual and institution-organised outings; and (iii) the organisational and environmental determinants associated with these practices. Three logistic and one ordinal regression models were conducted, reflecting different conceptualisations of “going outside”, from independent mobility to the frequency of structured outings. Overall, the findings indicate that outing opportunities are strongly shaped by organisational culture, staffing structures, staff training and awareness, facility ownership, and the local environment. For-profit facilities were consistently more restrictive across several models. Higher person-centred care scores, the availability of facility-owned transport and dementia-relevant staff training were associated with greater freedom or more frequent outings. Environmental perceptions also played an important role: directors who considered the surrounding area to be quiet or green tended to permit more liberal access and reported higher frequencies of outings. These results highlight the multilayered nature of community access in dementia care and underscore the need for integrated policy approaches that address organisational resources, workforce capacity and capability, and neighbourhood environments to support the independence and social participation of residents living with dementia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49302,"journal":{"name":"Health & Place","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 103710"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148388420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}