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Nature, Recreation, Arts and the Health of Children in Cities
Cities Fit for Children, Surrey BC
21 Nov 2013
Dr. Trevor HancockProfessor and Senior Scholar
School of Public Health and Social PolicyUniversity of Victoria
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Why nature, recreation and arts?Because they interest meBecause I think they are important
and neglected determinants of the health and wellbeing - and more broadly, the development of the human potential - of children
Because I sit on the Board of◦BC Healthy Communities◦Child and Nature Alliance of Canadaand the Advisory Council of ◦Arts and Health Network Canada
Beyond health to human potential“A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.”
Hancock & Duhl, 1986
Outline1. Children's
environments2. Why nature matters3. Why recreation matters4. Why the arts matter5. Why beauty might
matter
What proportion of time do we spend . . .
In an urban setting?80%Indoors?90%In vehicles5%Outdoors?5%Within a natural ecosystem?
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2. Why nature mattersa) Biophiliab) Dependence on ecosystemsc) The health benefits of
natured) Modern and largely urban
life leads to ‘Nature deficit disorder’
Nature, life and health
“Nature's goods and services are the ultimate foundations of life and health, even though in modern societies this fundamental dependency may be indirect, displaced in space and time, and therefore poorly recognized.”
Ecosystems and Human Well-beingMillennium Ecosystem Assessment
WHO, 2005
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2a. Biophilia“the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.”
E.O. WilsonWe may have an innate need for
natureWe evolved in natural
environments◦We seem to have an innate preference
for the savannah
Engaging with nature1. Viewing nature
◦ As through a window, or in a painting
2. Being in (the presence of nearby) nature
May be incidental to some other activity
3. Active participation and involvement with nature
Countryside Recreation Network (UK)
Viewing nature. . . has been linked to Improved recovery in hospitalReduced stress in prisonImproved student test scoresReduced job stress, improved
job satisfactionImproved mood, reduced anger◦ ‘Relaxed wakefulness’, ‘effortless
attention’
Healthy Parks, Healthy People, 2002
Being in nature. . . has been linked toA calming affect - relaxed and
peaceful, positive moodReduced mental fatigue and
exhaustion“the natural environment has been
found to have a restorative quality, particularly for people who live in urban environments. Natural places such as parks offer an opportunity to become revitalised and refreshed.”
Increased physical activity
Healthy Parks, Healthy People, 2002
Data courtesy Marc Imhoff of NASA GSFC and Christopher Elvidge of NOAA NGDC. Image by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon,NASA GSFC
Earth’s City Lights
If we can’t see the stars . . . Two-thirds of the U.S. population and more
than one-half of the European population have already lost the ability to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.
The first World Atlas of the
artificial night sky brightness, 2001 “When a 1994 earthquake knocked out the
power in Los Angeles, many anxious residents called local emergency centers to report seeing a strange “giant, silvery cloud” in the dark sky. What they were really seeing—for the first time—was the Milky Way, long obliterated by the urban sky glow.”
Chepesiuk, Env Health Persp 2009
2b. Dependence on ecosystems
“Ecosystems are the planet's life-support systems - for the human species and all other forms of life. Human biology has a fundamental need for food, water, clean air, shelter and relative climatic constancy.”
Ecosystems and Human Well-being
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, WHO, 2005
But ecosystems are in decline“Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. . . . Nearly two thirds of the services provided by nature to humankind are found to be in decline worldwide.”
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005
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If you want to know more . .
Come to my session on the Ecological Determinants of Health this afternoon
The health impacts of ‘less green’ environmentsSocial breakdown◦ Less strength of community, courtesy, mutual
support, supervision of children outdoors◦More loneliness, graffiti, noise, litter,
loitering, illegal activity, property crime, aggression, violence, violent crime
Psychological breakdown◦ Less attention, learning, management of
major life issues, impulse control, delay of gratification Greener schools related to better scores, greening
schools leads to improved scores
◦More ADHD symptoms, clinical depression, anxiety attacks
Physical breakdown◦Poorer recovery from surgery, self-reported physical health, immune functioning
◦More obesity in children, physician-diagnosed diseases, mortality
Strength of evidence◦Based on hundreds of studies involving millions of people
◦Multiple methodologies, multiple outcomes
◦Many diverse populations
Based on Ming Kuo’s presentationHealthy by Nature, 22 Sept 2011 and on
Kuo, (2010) Parks and Other Green Environments: Essential Components of a Healthy Human Habitat
(National Recreation and Park Association)
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We no longer live in natureWe are 80% urbanisedWe spend 90% of our time
indoors◦And 5% in vehicles
So we are only outdoors 5% of the time (= 1 hour/day)◦And 80% of that is in urban settings
Kids don’t go out and play
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Time kids spend outdoors
There is little Canadian dataA 2011 US study of self-reported time in 6 – 19 year olds found:◦most children (63%) generally spend at least 2 hours of time outdoors per day
Their reported outdoor time was spent◦playing or just hanging out (84%)◦biking, jogging or running (80%) and ◦use of electronic media outdoors (65%)
Source: Active Healthy Kids Canada
2012 Report Card
Health and social benefits of urban greenery Landscape and Human
Health Laboratory, U of Illinois - Frances Kuo and colleagues
Multiple studies of vegetation, mainly in public housing in Chicago
http://lhhl.illinois.edu/
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Some key findings about urban greenery The more natural the view from
home, the better girls scored on tests of concentration and self-discipline
The more greenery, the higher levels of optimism and sense of effectiveness
The greener the setting in which children with ADD spend time, the more their symptoms are relieved
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Some key findings about urban greenery - 2 The greater the amount of
greenery in common spaces, the higher the levels of mutual caring and support among neighbours
The higher the amount of vegetation, the lower the crime rate
Higher levels of residential greenery are associated with lower levels of aggression against domestic partners
So the challenge is not how to get people to nature, but how to get nature to people – in the settings where they live, learn, work and play
The Different Environments of Nature and the Different Ways Childrenand Youth Can Experience Nature (Adapted From the Child and Nature Alliance)
Source: Active Healthy Kids Canada (2011)The Active Healthy Kids Canada 2011 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Toronto: Active Healthy Kids Canada. (p 52)
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Forest Schools & Nature KGForest School is an educational
approach that fosters a connection to, and knowledge of, the natural world through repeated, regular access to local woodland areas, parks and outdoor classrooms through the lens of play-based and child-directed learning.
http://www.forestschoolcanada.ca/ e.g. Sooke SD 61 Nature KG
http://naturekindergarten.sd62.bc.ca/
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Nature Kindergarten
http://naturekindergarten.sd62.bc.ca/
Recreation is . . . All of those activities in which an individual chooses to participate in their leisure time and is not confined solely to sports and physical recreation programs but includes artistic, creative, cultural, social and intellectual activities. The FTP Ministers of Recreation agreed on this definition
of recreation in 1974, later re-confirmed in 1988
http://lin.ca/resource-details/4467
It is likely to be amended in the new
National Recreation Agenda
Health benefits of urban parks
Physical (exercise) Social (being with others)Mental/emotional (relaxation,
etc)Spiritual (connecting with
nature)Ecological (air quality,
temperature regulation etc)
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Parks and obesity3173 children aged 9-10 from
12 communities in Southern California . . . followed for eight years
“children with better access to parks and recreational resources are less likely to experience significant increases in attained BMI.”
Wolch et al, 2011
“I believe that evidence supports theconclusion that physical inactivity is one of the most important public health problems of the 21st century, and may even be the most important.”
Professor Steven N BlairDepartment of Exercise Science and
Epidemiology/Biostatistics Arnold School of Public Health
University of South Carolina
Physical activity and school performance
“What if there was a program or product that had a positive, measurable impact on nearly every student's academic performance? And what if that same program or product could help reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity and had side effects such as enhanced health and self-esteem? Surely every School Board, teacher, parent and politician would want it featured in every school. The program is Physical Activity. The product is Physical Fitness.”
Source: Martin Collis, 2003
Parks for allGiven the inequalities in
health we face, how do we ensure the most disadvantaged get the benefits that ‘Vitamin G’ offers?
How do parks meet the needs of ethno-racially diverse communities?
Age–friendly parks?How do we bring nature
indoors?
Risk and playThe public health community
has been part of creating the fear of injury
Yet there is emerging evidence that risk-taking is important for problem solving and creativity (Ian Pike, BCIRPU)
Something we have to address together
Risk is natural
We evolved by taking risks
“We need to accept that it is natural and healthy for children to take risks, make mistakes, have everyday adventures and test themselves and their boundaries.”
Tim Gill, former Director, Children’s Play Council (UK)Author, “No Fear: Growing up in a risk averse
society”
‘Healthy risk’We need a conversation on the
health benefits of riskWhat level of risk is not only
acceptable, but even beneficial◦e.g. not wearing a bike helmet
Needs to include◦Municpal gov’ts, school boards, parks boards
◦Insurance industry◦Public health/injury prevention◦Child health and child play professioanls
Arts and culture have a significant role to play inReducing the costs of many medical
treatmentsRelieving stress and tension in
professional caregivers Promoting both individual and
community healthParticularly effective in reaching out to and engaging marginalised groups, youth-at-risk and the elderly
Cooley, 2003http://artshealthnetwork.ca/
Report of the Review of Arts and Health Working Group, UK NHS
Arts and health are, and should be firmly recognised as being, integral to health, healthcare provision and healthcare environments
Arts and health initiatives are delivering real and measurable benefits across a wide range of priority areas for health
There is a wealth of good practice and a substantial evidence base
"Art as a Determinant of Health” There is “a large body of evidence that underscores the significance and profound value of art as it infuses the global work of health promotion, education, research, activism, and individual therapies with curative and/or palliative intent.”
Lander and Graham-Pole, 2008Available at http://artshealthnetwork.ca/arts-health-101
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Arts and the health and wellbeing of children“It was found that
participating in creative activities can have apositive effect on behavioural changes, self-confidence, self-esteem, levels of knowledge andphysical activity.”
Bungay and Vella-Burrows, 2013(a rapid review of the literature)
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Arts & Health: An International Journal, since 2009
This fast-emerging field has developed in response to international interest regarding the multifarious ways in which the arts contribute to health, wellbeing, social inclusion and healthcare practice across a range of settings.
Published in association with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare
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The arts and neuroscience
Four volumes of Progress in Brain Research in 2013 – 2015 are dedicated to the arts and neuroscience ◦Part 1: The Fine Arts, Neurology, and
Neuroscience: Neuro-Historical Dimensions (Vol 203, 2013)
◦Part 2: The Fine Arts, Neurology, and Neuroscience: New Discoveries and Changing Landscapes (Vol 204, 2013)
◦Part 3: Neurology and neuroscience in literature (2014)
◦Part 4: Neurology and neuroscience in music (2015)
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Dance and the health of children – Systematic review “. . . a consistency of association
across a range of different populations and settings that suggest that recreational dance can improve cardiovascular fitness and bone health of children and young people and can contribute to preventing or reducing obesity. There is also more limited evidence that suggests dance participation may improve self-concept and body image and reduce anxiety.”
Burkhardt and Brennan, 2012
Music training and child cognitive development This study suggests a
significant correspondence between early music instruction and spatial–temporal reasoning abilities.
Bilhartz, Bruhn and Olson, 2000
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Music making and pro-social behaviour “joint music making among 4-year-old children
increases subsequent spontaneous cooperative and helpful behavior” – Kirschner and Tomasello, 2010
“Music improved helpfulness for both girls and boys with children in the ‘Music’ group over thirty times more likely to help than those in the ‘No Music’ group. ◦ Girls were over twenty times more likely to help than
boys. Making music was also shown to improve co-
operation among all the children in the ‘Music Group’ who were six times more likely to co-operate than those in the ‘No Music’ Group.
Boys in the ‘Music’ Group were also four times more likely to problem solve.”
Davies, Ohl and Manyande, 2013
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5. Why beauty might matter
What links ArtNatureCities and the built environment
BEAUTY!a combination of qualities, such
as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight -
Oxford Dictionaries
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“That which stirs the soul” Ann Petrie, Artist &
former CBC broadcaster
That which “brings you joy”Susanne Sklar, Academic &
William Blake scholar
“that which makes life worth living. Any society that doesn’t respect deep pleasure or satisfaction to the mind is a mean society.”
Peter Schjeldahl Art critic
All from Beauty Will Save the WorldIdeas, CBC Radio,
Thursday, June 10, 2010
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Surely something thatgives intense pleasure or deep
satisfaction to the mindstirs the soulbrings joymakes life worth living
has got to be good for mental health, and since mental and physical health are intimately connects, good for overall health
Note – this probably includes good sex and rock’n’roll, but I don’t believe it includes
addictive and ultimately destructive drugs, or violence against others
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So . . . Is beauty good for health?Is ugliness bad for health?Note that I am not talking here about whether people feel they are beautiful, attractive or ugly. So this is NOT aboutThe body beautiful and body
imageCosmetic surgery or dentistry The beauty industry, tanning
beds etc.