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The use of Enhanced Vegetation Index for assessing access to different types of green space in epidemiological studies
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Daniel Thompson,
Alan Watkins ,
Ashley Akbari ,
Joanne K. Garrett,
Rebecca Geary,
Rebecca Lovell,
Ronan Lyons ,
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen,
Sarah C. Parker,
Francis M. Rowney,
Jiao Song,
Gareth Stratton ,
Benedict W. Wheeler,
James White,
Mathew P. White,
Sue Williams,
Sarah E. Rodgers,
Rich Fry
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology
Swansea University Authors:
Amy Mizen , Daniel Thompson, Alan Watkins , Ashley Akbari , Ronan Lyons , Gareth Stratton , Rich Fry
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DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s41370-024-00650-5
Abstract
Background: Exposure to green space can protect against poor health through a variety of mechanisms. However, there is heterogeneity in methodological approaches to exposure assessments which makes creating effective policy recommendations challenging.Objective: Critically evaluate the use of a sate...
| Published in: | Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology |
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| ISSN: | 1559-0631 1559-064X |
| Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2024
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65638 |
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| Abstract: |
Background: Exposure to green space can protect against poor health through a variety of mechanisms. However, there is heterogeneity in methodological approaches to exposure assessments which makes creating effective policy recommendations challenging.Objective: Critically evaluate the use of a satellite-derived exposure metric, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), for assessing access to different types of green space in epidemiological studies.Methods: We used Landsat 5-8 (30 m resolution) to calculate average EVI for a 300m radius surrounding 1.4 million households in Wales, UK for 2018. We calculated two additional measures using topographic vector data to represent access to green spaces within 300m of household locations. The two topographic vector-based measures were total green space area stratified by type and average private garden size. We used linear regression models to test whether EVI could discriminate between publicly accessible and private green space and Pearson correlation to test associations between EVI and green space types.Results: Mean EVI for a 300m radius surrounding households in Wales was 0.22 (IQR= 0.12). Total green space area and average private garden size were significantly positively associated with corresponding EVI measures (= <0.0001, 95% CI: 0.0000,0.0000; = 0.0001, 95% CI: 0.0001,0.0001 respectively). In urban areas, as average garden size increases by 1m2, EVI increases by 0.0002. Therefore, in urban areas, to see a 0.1 unit increase in EVI index score, garden size would need to increase by 500m2. The very small values represent no ‘measurable real-world’ associations. When stratified by type, we observed no strong associations between greenspace and EVI.Significance: Satellite-derived measures such as EVI offer the opportunity to objectively measure exposure to greenness in the hyperlocal environment. However, EVI should be interpreted with care as a greater EVI score does not necessarily mean greater access to publicly available green spaces in the hyperlocal environment. |
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| Keywords: |
Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Exposure assessment, Residential greenness, Epidemiological studies |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
This research was conducted as part of independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), project number 16/07/07. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. |