Evaluating the Impact of Improvements in Urban Green Space on Older Adults' Physical Activity and Wellbeing: a Natural Experimental Study (GHIA)

Background: Creating or improving urban green space has the potential to be an effective and sustainable way to increase physical activity and improve other aspects of wellbeing in older adults. However, the size and quality of the existing evidence base is weak. There is particularly a lack of studies on older adults and in the United Kingdom. This study aims to evaluate the effect of four small local street greening intervention projects on older adults' physical activity and wellbeing over a one-year period. The street greening includes tree and flower planting, and artificial tree decorations. These projects are based in a deprived urban neighbourhood in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.

Methods: Eight unimproved comparison sites were selected to compare with the intervention sites. The researchers will measure physical activity and two other behavioural indicators of wellbeing (Connect: connecting with other people; and Take Notice: taking notice of the environment) using a newly developed observation tool. It is thought that the largest effect of the interventions will be on Take Notice behaviour due to improvements in the aesthetic quality of green space at the intervention sites. Baseline data collection occurred in September 2017 before the interventions were installed in November 2017. Follow-up data collection will be repeated in February/ March 2018 (6 months) and September 2018 (12 months).

Discussion: The present study offers a rare opportunity to evaluate the before-and-after effects of small-scale changes in urban green space, in an understudied population (older adults) and setting (United Kingdom). Although the interventions are expected to have small effects on peoples' behaviour, this study will address key weaknesses in previous studies.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity and Wellbeing
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Urban street greening

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1200

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Greater Manchester
    • Multiple Locations, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, Various
      • Greater Manchester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This study is focused on older adults and therefore primary analyses will only consider data from older adults. Secondary analyses will consider data from adults.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

° All individuals (infants, children, teens, adults, older adults) entering the target area during observation periods

Exclusion Criteria:

° Any individuals that request their data to be removed from the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Other
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

12

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Intervention site 1; 2 planted trees; bulb planting	Behavioral: Urban street greening; The interventions are located on four publicly accessible sites; the total size of the floor area of green space in each of the intervention sites is small, ranging from 0.09 to 0.35 acres. Components of the interventions include tree and flower planting (expected to bloom by March 2018) and artificial tree decorations such as strings of small electric lights and tree socks (the interventions are hereafter collectively referred to as urban street greening). The total cost for all components across all four intervention sites is approximately £6,000, although this excludes artist fees connected to the project. All components of the interventions were implemented within a one week period in November 2017 by two arborists, two local artists, staff members at Southway Housing Trust, and local community members from Old Moat and a local school.
Comparison site 1A
Comparison site 1B
Intervention site 2; 12 planted trees; bulb planting; artificial tree decorations (string lights)	Behavioral: Urban street greening; The interventions are located on four publicly accessible sites; the total size of the floor area of green space in each of the intervention sites is small, ranging from 0.09 to 0.35 acres. Components of the interventions include tree and flower planting (expected to bloom by March 2018) and artificial tree decorations such as strings of small electric lights and tree socks (the interventions are hereafter collectively referred to as urban street greening). The total cost for all components across all four intervention sites is approximately £6,000, although this excludes artist fees connected to the project. All components of the interventions were implemented within a one week period in November 2017 by two arborists, two local artists, staff members at Southway Housing Trust, and local community members from Old Moat and a local school.
Comparison site 2A
Comparison site 2B
Intervention site 3; 3 planted trees; artificial tree decorations (string lights, tree socks)	Behavioral: Urban street greening; The interventions are located on four publicly accessible sites; the total size of the floor area of green space in each of the intervention sites is small, ranging from 0.09 to 0.35 acres. Components of the interventions include tree and flower planting (expected to bloom by March 2018) and artificial tree decorations such as strings of small electric lights and tree socks (the interventions are hereafter collectively referred to as urban street greening). The total cost for all components across all four intervention sites is approximately £6,000, although this excludes artist fees connected to the project. All components of the interventions were implemented within a one week period in November 2017 by two arborists, two local artists, staff members at Southway Housing Trust, and local community members from Old Moat and a local school.
Comparison site 3A
Comparison site 3B
Intervention site 4; 8 planted trees; bulb planting; artificial tree decorations (string lights, tree socks)	Behavioral: Urban street greening; The interventions are located on four publicly accessible sites; the total size of the floor area of green space in each of the intervention sites is small, ranging from 0.09 to 0.35 acres. Components of the interventions include tree and flower planting (expected to bloom by March 2018) and artificial tree decorations such as strings of small electric lights and tree socks (the interventions are hereafter collectively referred to as urban street greening). The total cost for all components across all four intervention sites is approximately £6,000, although this excludes artist fees connected to the project. All components of the interventions were implemented within a one week period in November 2017 by two arborists, two local artists, staff members at Southway Housing Trust, and local community members from Old Moat and a local school.
Comparison site 4A
Comparison site 4B

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Take Notice behaviour	The primary outcome will be a count per observation period of Take Notice behaviour at 12 months. Take Notice behaviour is the primary outcome because the interventions are expected to improve the aesthetic quality of green space by providing visual information of value to users, thus causing more overt appreciation in the intervention sites.	12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Take Notice behaviour	The investigators will also assess a count per observation period of Take Notice behaviour at 6 months.	6 months
Overall count of older adults	The secondary outcome will be the overall count of older adults per observation period.	6 months
Overall count of older adults	The secondary outcome will be the overall count of older adults per observation period.	12 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sedentary behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	6 months
Sedentary behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	12 months
Walking behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	6 months
Walking behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	12 months
Vigorous physical activity	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	6 months
Vigorous physical activity	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	12 months
Connect behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	6 months
Connect behaviour	Additional exploratory analyses will assess a count per observation period separately for each physical activity level (Sedentary, Walking, Vigorous) and Connect behaviour.	12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manchester

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Benton JS, Anderson J, Cotterill S, Dennis M, Lindley SJ, French DP. Evaluating the impact of improvements in urban green space on older adults' physical activity and wellbeing: protocol for a natural experimental study. BMC Public Health. 2018 Jul 27;18(1):923. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5812-z.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 4, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 21, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): September 21, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): July 3, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 24, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 23, 2020
• Last Verified: March 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Wellbeing; Physical activity; Older adults; Protocol; Urban green space; Natural experiment; GHIA
• Other Study ID Numbers: NE/N013530/1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No
• IPD Plan Description: There are no individual participant data

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No