Is self-reported park proximity associated with perceived social disorder? Findings from eleven cities in Latin America.

ABSTRACT: Parks and greenspaces can enhance personal health in various ways, including among others, through psychological restoration and improved well-being. However, under certain circumstances, parks may also have adverse effects by providing isolated and hidden spaces for non-normative and crime-related activities. This study uses a survey conducted by the Development Bank of Latin America in a cross-sectional representative sample of 7,110 respondents in eleven Latin-American cities. We examine associations between self-reported park proximity with perceived social disorder (drug use/sales, gangs, prostitution and assault and/or crime), and whether these associations are modified by neighborhood characteristics (informal neighborhoods, poor street-lighting, abandoned buildings, illegal dumping

SUBMITTER: Moran MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8780619 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature