Healthy Parks Healthy People

Parcs en bonne santé, Populations en bonne santé

Chúk Odenigbo
2017 Canadian Parks Conference - 09/03/2017
The intersection between nature and health - le
croisement entre la nature et la santé
Multiple studies have shown the The environment influences our
importance of connecting with health in so many different ways:
nature:
● The air we breath
● Reduced stress levels (Stigsdotter ● The water we drink
et al 2010) ● The urban (or rural) landscape
● Increased activity (Astell- Burt et
● Workplace environment
al., 2014)
● The food we eat
● Youth engagement « therapeutic
and rewarding » (O’Brien et al.,
2011)
● Improved imagination in kids
(Nedovic et al., 2013)
We Are Nature
Nous sommes la Nature

3
The disconnect between people and nature... - Les
êtres humains vs la nature; un lien brisé
● Canadian kids are ranked as one ● Concerns for the future of
of the least active in the conservation
world ● Increased stress levels in
● Increased incidence of diseases urban populations
related to sedentary lifestyles ● Issues surrounding air and
● Reduced visitors at parks water quality
● The demographics of park ● Increased ADHD and behavioural
visitors do not represent the issues in children
changing demographics of our ● Aesthetics in relation to
populations biophilia not taken into
consideration
 What is Healthy Parks Victoria created the

Parks HEalthy
Healthy Parks Healthy
People brand in 2000 and
commissioned Deakin

PEople?
Qu’est-ce que c’est « Parcs
en bonne santé, Populations
en bonne santé »
University to do a
literature review which
analysed more than 200
journal articles on
research into the human
health benefits of contact
with nature
Four Key Points - Quatre Éléments Clés
● the well-being of all societies depends on healthy
ecosystems
● parks nurture healthy ecosystems
● contact with nature is essential for improving emotional,
physical, and spiritual health and well-being
● parks are fundamental to economic growth and to vibrant
and healthy communities.
Parks as a resource for health - Les parcs en tant que
ressources en santé
Integrating parks into one’s life for health purposes:

● Therapeutic purposes
● Treatment programmes
● Emotional well-being
● Combined with conventional medicine for better outcomes
● Individual vs community vs population-based health

Parks can provide programs, facilities, and environments

that when used by visitors can provide physical, mental,
spiritual, and social health benefits.
Multidisciplinary approach - Approche multidisciplinaire
The Healthy Parks Healthy People philosophy envisages many
sectors- health, environment, parks, development, education
– working together to provide a better outcome for all.

● Epidemiologists
● Health Professionals
● Teachers
● Psychologists
● Politicians
● Conservationalists
What would success look like? - À quoi ressemblerait le succès?
Universal access to nature/parks The involvement of other sectors in
(be relevant to ALL Canadians) parks (and by extention, parks in
other sectors)
Park visitors from all generations
and all backgrounds Alliances between federal,
provincial , municipal and private
Parks and nature are realised as a agencies
health resource

Health promotion core to the

quality operation and management of
parks

The overall improvement of public

health
 Healthy Parks Tool A set of criteria and
standards for “What is a
Healthy Park”
Un instrument pour les parcs
en bonne santé
 Healthy Parks Network - Le réseau de parcs en
bonne santé
INCREASE AWARENESS OF NATURE CREATE, REINFORCE, AND
1 AND HEALTH CONNECTIONS; 4 SUPPORT COLLECTIVE
ACTIONS TOWARDS
PROMOTE PARK EXPERIENCE TO ACHIEVING A JUST,
OPTIMIZE HEALTH BENEFITS HEALTHY, AND
2 WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE PLANET;
CONSERVATION AND
SUSTAINABILITY; 5 JOIN IN MODELING BEST
PRACTICES TO PROMOTE
FACILITATE DAY-TO-DAY EXCELLENCE.
DECISIONS IN PARKS THAT
3 PROMOTE HEALTHY ENGAGEMENT
IN NATURE
Purpose of the tool
Le but de l’instrument
● Assess park
environments, programs,
and policies for their
capacity and potential
in contributing to
positive human health
and wellbeing
● Identify practical
approaches for managing
and protecting park
health resources
Dimensions involved - Des aspects d’en tenir compte
Four park health Four people health
dimensions: dimensions:

● Environmental ● Mental
sustainability ● Physical
● Financial sustainability ● Social
● Accessibility ● Spiritual
● Safety and security
 Tool Development: Components
Développement de l’instrument: éléments
PROFILE:
importants
• Includes date of creation, size, manager, map, etc
• Includes motivators (why do people use this park?)
• Access (reach of the park)

FEATURES:
• Self-assessment tool

WORKERS’ HEALTH:
• Occupational dimensions of wellness
 Process - Démarche
– Review of the evidence
• Grey literature & case studies (e.g., Healthy Parks Healthy People Science Plan)
• Existing tools (e.g., Healthy Parks Vital Signs Scan)
• Systematic review on equitable park access
– Conducted by the Cochrane Group at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia
– Organisation of the evidence (conceptualisation)
• Categories (e.g., accessibility, biodiversity, communications)
• Pile sorting
• Conceptualisation matrix
– Validation of the evidence
• Expert working groups
Healthy Parks Healthy People
Mental Health
Anxiety
Mental Health
Depression
Wetlands PTSD
+
+ ADHD
Confusion
Urban
Recreation + Cognitive Function
+ & Factors
Ecosystems
Physical + Stress
Aggression associated with
+ Activity + Mental, Physical,
Happiness
Forests Social and/or
+ Self-Esteem
Longevity Spiritual Health
+ Mortality
Obesity Physical
Cardiovascular Disease Health
High Blood Pressure
Low Birth Weight
 Healthy Parks
Tool Healthy Parks People health
Biodiversity dimensions
Physical Health
+
Recreation + Mental Health
&
+
Access + Ecotourism + Social Health

Spiritual Health
Culture

Park health dimensions

Healthy Foods
Financial Environmental
&
Sustainability Sustainability
Nutrition
Safety & Accessibility
Security
 Healthy Parks Tool
People health
dimensions
Healthy Parks
PROGRAMS Physical Health
Biodiversity +
Mental Health
+
+ Social Health
ACCESS

Recreation
POLICY & + Spiritual Health
Ecotourism

Culture Park health dimensions

Financial Environmental
COMMUNICATIONS Healthy Foods Sustainability Sustainability
&
Nutrition Safety & Accessibility
Security
Healthy Park Criteria Tool - L’instrument pour
le parcs en bonne santé
The Eco-Health Relationship Browser -
Navigateur de la santé environnementale
Click here to access

Environmental Protection
Agency, USA (2016)
Examples of Existing Tools - Des exemples
Tools d’outils actuels
Community Park Audit Tool (CPAT)
Healthy Parks Vital Signs Scan
Environmental Assessment of Public Recreation Spaces (EAPRS)
Parks, Trails, and Health Workbook (CDC)
Parks, Activity and Recreation Among Kids (PARK)
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (performance indicators)(GSTC)
Quality of Open Space Tool (POST)
Complete Parks Playbook
Trust for Public Land Park Score 2015
Parks and Recreation in Underserved Areas
Public Open Space Desktop Auditing Tool (POSDAT)
Neighborhood Observational Checklist
Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument
Path Environment Audit Tool (PEAT)
Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity in Parks – Direct observation instrument (BRAT-DO)
Recreation Facility Evaluation Tool
Programa Comunidades y Entornos Saludables

Literature
Healthy Parks Healthy People: The State of the Evidence 2015
 A Healthy Park is “. . .a space
that sustains life; contributes
to people’s physical, mental,
and spiritual health; and
promotes and fosters social,
economic, and
environmental wellbeing."