Study on the Impacts of Urban Park Use on Public Health in Shanghai

Many kinds of diseases, especially psychological ones, were found to be associated with urbanization and urban living. Urban parks play as a major, if not the only, role in accessing to nature for urban residents. This study documented the weekend visitor patterns of four parks in Shanghai (n = 296), in which the relationship between averaged hours spent in parks and emotional/physical well-being. Multiple linear regression results revealed that hours spending in parks contributes, although limited, to emotional well-being (delta r2=2.25%), after controlling external factors, i.e., personality and social connections (r2=29.22%). Path analysis in addition also revealed that park visits regulated negative emotions; however, visits did not significantly improve positive emotions. The health benefits of parks, although small, can be shared with a large number of the residents for a long time. In conclusion, building more urban parks and making them more accessible not only physically but also psychologically, may play an important role in reducing the mental stress and promoting the emotional well-being of urban residents.