The role of urban physical environment in the general health quality of citizens (Case study: Kerman city)

Document Type : Research Article (Applied - Development)

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Geography, department of Social Scinces, Payam e Noor University, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

10.22103/JUSG.2021.2046

Abstract

Objective: Urban spaces have a great impact on the public health of citizens. Almost research on the relationship between the urban physical environment and citizens 'health has relied solely on assessing citizens' perceptions of the urban environment. In this article, the relationship between the general health quality (GHQ) of citizens' and the measured physical environment aspects of the city has been investigated.
Methods: The present research is applied in terms of purpose and is field method in terms of nature and  method. For this purpose, after literature reviewing, in the first stage, the sample size was determined using Cochran's random method and in the second stage, using hierarchical cluster sampling method and georeference questionnaire technique, survey data of GHQ from 384 citizens of Kerman were Collected in 2019. Also, with the formation of the statistical block of the general population-housing census in 2016 in the GIS, the characteristics of the physical environment of Kerman, including; The variables of residential density(RD), ground commercial density(GCD), street conecection density(SCD) and green space density(GSD) and land use mixing ratio(LUMR) and walk-ability index were calculated. Finally, the partial correlation values of Kerman urban form variables with the values of general health quality index were estimated and analyzed.
Results: Partial correlation between GHQ values had a significant positive relationship with age and gender and a significant negative relationship with education. Also, the values of GHQ index had a significant negative relationship with the values of urban physical environment indexes. Spatially, the green space density showed a completely significant correlation with GHQ index.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the hypothesis that the design of an urban environment is significantly related to the GHQ of citizens. The results emphasize that increasing the density of local ground commercial space, land use mixing ratio, more roads connectivity by increasing the walk-ability index and especially the development of green space are among the interventions that can improve the GHQ.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Urban Social Geography
Volume 8, Issue 2 - Serial Number 19
September 2021
Pages 63-47

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 April 2021
  • Revise Date: 27 June 2021
  • Accept Date: 07 September 2021

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