How do neighborhood environments impact adolescent health: a comprehensive study from subjective and objective...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Urban Planning
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Established linear links between urban settings and adolescent health.
• Limited exploration of combined subjective/objective environmental impacts on multi-dimensional adolescent health.
• Sparse research on non-linear urban environment-adolescent health relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate non-linear relationships between neighborhood environments and adolescent physical/mental health.
• Examine combined effects of subjective and objective environmental factors.
• Identify specific environmental variables influencing adolescent health in Kunming, China.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Random Forest modeling for analysis.
• Assessed both subjective and objective neighborhood environmental factors.
• Focused on a case study in Kunming, China.

Main Results:

• Objective environment demonstrated a more significant role in adolescent physical and mental health.
• Identified non-linear correlations and threshold effects between neighborhood variables and health outcomes.
• Specific variables like distance to subway, traffic safety facilities, and greening view index showed differential impacts; community management, image, and capital positively influenced health.

Conclusions:

• Objective environmental factors are crucial for adolescent health.
• Non-linear effects and thresholds exist in the urban environment-adolescent health nexus.
• Findings inform healthy community planning and targeted health interventions for adolescents.