Urban green spaces (GS) are increasingly recognized for mitigating health risks linked to urbanization, yet most research emphasizes proximity rather than actual use in Mediterranean cities. This study examines how GS visitation patterns, demographic characteristics, and physical health outcomes interact in Chania, Crete, addressing gaps in GS exposure and chronic disease prevention.A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 718 adult residents between June and August 2024. Data included demographics, GS use, physical activity, and self-reported health indicators, including BMI, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models were applied.Demographics were significantly associated with GS engagement and health. Men more often visited forests and had higher odds of chronic conditions (e.g., OR = 3.194 for CAD, p = 0.004), while older adults visited GS more frequently. Limited GS accessibility (>20-minute walk) was associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR = 1.603, p = 0.024). Garden visits were associated with more frequent GS use (OR = 3.133, p = 0.017), and longer visits (>1 h) were associated with lower odds of CAD, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and longer physical activity duration.These findings highlight the importance of actual GS engagement alongside availability and support equitable, quality-focused GS planning.
Recent growth in apartment living in Australian cities has raised concerns about mental health disparities between apartment and house residents, often attributed to poor construction quality and amenity levels. Notably, apartment residents in Australian capital cities are predominantly renters in the private market, with evidence that tenure instability and inability to control home quality can adversely affect mental health. While there is established literature on the mental health effects of either tenure type or dwelling type, few studies have examined their combined effects and spatial distribution on long-term mental health. To address this gap, this study examined: (a) the effect of dwelling type on mental health; (b) effect modification by tenure type; and (c) variations across Australian capital cities. Fixed-effects regression models were constructed to analyse panel data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey from 2001 to 2019. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in mental health outcomes based on dwelling or tenure type at the national level – a finding that advances understanding by ruling out strong direct effects of dwelling type on mental health. There was no significant variation in dwelling type effects across cities as a whole, but city-stratified analysis revealed that living in an apartment was associated with better mental health compared to living in a house in Greater Sydney. This suggests that the mental health effects of dwelling type may be context-sensitive, highlighting the need for future research to investigate within-city factors affecting mental health in residential settings.
Several studies have investigated factors associated with urban homelessness and its duration. Most focus on social and health factors and overlook shelter status, potentially due to reliance on datasets from sheltered homeless individuals. Shelter status, defined as whether an individual was staying in formal temporary accommodation or in an unsheltered location not intended for habitation, represents a critical distinction in subsequent housing pathways. Using a near-complete count and survey of homeless individuals in Halifax, Canada, this study examines the association between shelter status and homelessness duration. The study also examines whether shelter status moderates the association between social and health-related factors and the likelihood of exiting homelessness. The analysis consists of three steps. First, factors related to homelessness duration are identified using Cohen's d and the t-test. Second, a baseline proportional hazards model is estimated, with homelessness duration as the dependent variable, shelter status as the explanatory variable, and social and health factors as control variables. Third, a model including interaction terms between shelter status and social and health factors is developed. The results show that unsheltered status is associated with prolonged homelessness, along with significant interactions with immigrant status, first homelessness after age 50, victimization, and substance use history. These patterns are examined using survival curves to understand differences in exit probabilities over time. Findings indicate that shelter status is associated with homelessness duration and moderates the association between individual vulnerabilities and duration.
