Linking Park Quality with Neighborhood Health
Parks are an important component of community living. Bethlehem PA has a strong parks system composed of over 20 public parks containing amenities for recreation, socializing, event spaces, and natural features. I work to monitor the quality of Bethlehem public parks and explore links between the quality of parks and neighborhood health.
What we Found
My students in the College of Health and I have identified that perceived park and neighborhood disorder is associated with neighborhood rates of mental health and perceived health. We found that lower scores on park disorder scales are associated with a higher rate of poor community mental health, after controlling for income and other demographics. This is evidence of the links between the quality of parks and community mental health in Bethlehem.
Impact
Our results were recently highlighted in the Bethlehem Parks Master Plan. You can access the full report at this link.