TY - JOUR
T1 - The moderating effects of mobile applications on the use of urban green space and mental health of older people
T2 - A mixed-method investigation in Hong Kong
AU - Ma, Chun Yin
AU - Yang, Chun
N1 - The authors thank the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Wendy Chen, and the anonymous reviewers for providing valuable comments on the earlier versions of the manuscript. This research is gratefully funded by Hong Kong Baptist University Research Development Fund - Research Network on Healthy Ageing (RNHA202304), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 41571119) and Hong Kong Research Grant Council General Research Fund (Project Nos. 12600120 and 12603123)
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier GmbH.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Existing literature on the relationship between urban green space (UGS) use and mental health of older people was mainly conducted before the widespread adoption of digital technologies in daily life. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has fostered the use of mobile applications (apps) at a time city dwellers, including older people, were required to stay home. Drawing upon the insights from emerging literature on the changing relationship between UGS use and mental health of older people in the digital era in urban and gerontological studies, this paper offers a vivid mixed-method to investigate whether mobile app use has supplemented or substituted UGS visits and activities that further influence on the mental health of older people. This is achieved by conducting 360 questionnaire surveys in elderly community centers amid the pandemic and 23 semi-structured interviews in local neighbourhood parks after the pandemic by the authors. Results demonstrates mobile app use frequency may moderate the proximity-mental health relationship, but only among the older people with lower mental health levels. Among this sub-group, digital consumption app use frequency weakens the proximity-mental health relationship on marginal significance, which illustrates digital consumption apps may substitute the role of urban parks on improving older people's mental health. Furthermore, digital communication and recreation mobile app use frequency strengthens the proximity-mental health relationship on marginal significance, which suggests these mobile apps may supplement the role of urban parks on improving older people's mental health, particularly during the pandemic. The research pleas for more research on how digitalization of everyday activities is transforming the use of UGS such as neighbourhood parks and subsequent impact on the mental health of older people in the widespread adoption of digital technologies.
AB - Existing literature on the relationship between urban green space (UGS) use and mental health of older people was mainly conducted before the widespread adoption of digital technologies in daily life. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has fostered the use of mobile applications (apps) at a time city dwellers, including older people, were required to stay home. Drawing upon the insights from emerging literature on the changing relationship between UGS use and mental health of older people in the digital era in urban and gerontological studies, this paper offers a vivid mixed-method to investigate whether mobile app use has supplemented or substituted UGS visits and activities that further influence on the mental health of older people. This is achieved by conducting 360 questionnaire surveys in elderly community centers amid the pandemic and 23 semi-structured interviews in local neighbourhood parks after the pandemic by the authors. Results demonstrates mobile app use frequency may moderate the proximity-mental health relationship, but only among the older people with lower mental health levels. Among this sub-group, digital consumption app use frequency weakens the proximity-mental health relationship on marginal significance, which illustrates digital consumption apps may substitute the role of urban parks on improving older people's mental health. Furthermore, digital communication and recreation mobile app use frequency strengthens the proximity-mental health relationship on marginal significance, which suggests these mobile apps may supplement the role of urban parks on improving older people's mental health, particularly during the pandemic. The research pleas for more research on how digitalization of everyday activities is transforming the use of UGS such as neighbourhood parks and subsequent impact on the mental health of older people in the widespread adoption of digital technologies.
KW - Hong Kong
KW - Mental health
KW - Mobile app use
KW - Older adults
KW - Urban parks proximity
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128201
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183648934&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128182
DO - 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128182
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85183648934
SN - 1618-8667
VL - 91
JO - Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
JF - Urban Forestry and Urban Greening
M1 - 128182
ER -
