Magdalena Van den Berg

Amsterdam University Medical Center | VUmc · Department of Public and Occupational Health

This cross-cultural study explores the relationship of natural outdoor environment (NOE) use with NOE access. Most urban planning recommendations suggest optimal accessibility to be 300 m–500 m straight distance to spaces with vegetation of at least 1 hectare. Exploring this recommendation, we used data (n = 3947) from four European cities collecte...

Background: Physical activity can be affected by both meteorological conditions and surrounding greenness, but few studies have evaluated the effects of these environmental factors on physical activity simultaneously. This multi-city comparative study aimed to assess the synergetic effects of apparent temperature and surrounding greenness on physi...

Background: Despite the large number of studies on beneficial effects of the natural outdoor environment (NOE) on health, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Objective: This study explored the relations between amount, quality, use and experience of the NOE; and physical activity, social contacts and mental well-being. Methods:...

Objectives Dog owners walking their dog in natural outdoor environments (NOE) may benefit from the physical activity facilitated by dog walking and from time spent in nature. However, it is unclear whether dog owners receive additional health benefits associated with having access to NOE above the physical activity benefit of walking with their dog...

Natural environments (green and blue space) are associated with a range of health benefits, but their use is likely to be influenced by the presence of features, facilities and amenities and the condition/maintenance, or the natural environment quality. Most ‘quality’ assessment tools have focused on green spaces and their support for physical acti...

This cross-sectional study investigated whether physical activity, social cohesion, and loneliness mediate the association between time spent visiting green spaces and perceived mental health and vitality. Questionnaire data were collected from 3,948 residents from 124 neighborhoods across four European cities. Multilevel linear regression analysis...

This study investigated whether residential availability of natural outdoor environments (NOE) was associated with contact with NOE, overall physical activity and physical activity in NOE, in four different European cities using objective measures. A nested cross-sectional study was conducted in Barcelona (Spain); Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom); D...

Introduction: Better mental health has been associated with exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE). However, comprehensive studies including several indicators of exposure and outcomes, potential effect modifiers and mediators are scarce. Objectives: We used novel, objective measures to explore the relationships between exposure to NOE (...

Objective The objective of the current study was to explore whether time spent visiting green space near home acts as a mediator in the association between level of residential greenness and perceived mental health. Methods Questionnaire data and satellite data of residential greenness were gathered in four European cities (total n = 3748): Barcelo...

Background: Urban residents may experience cognitive fatigue and little opportunity for mental restoration due to a lack of access to nature. Natural outdoor environments (NOE) are thought to be beneficial for cognitive functioning, but underlying mechanisms are not clear. Objectives: To investigate the long-term association between NOE and cogn...

This laboratory study explored buffering and recovery effects of viewing urban green and built spaces on autonomic nervous system activity. Forty-six students viewed photos of green and built spaces immediately following, and preceding acute stress induction. Simultaneously recorded electrocardiogram and impedance cardiogram signal was used to deri...

Among the many benefits provided by plants, “health” stands out as a benefit that is especially highly valued. Over the past decades, people-plant studies have increasingly focused on empirically demonstrating relationships between plants and health. However, there are as yet no consensual standards in the field as to which research findings qualif...

De Gezondheidsraad is een adviesorgaan met als taak om de regering en het Parlement voor te lichten over de stand van wetenschap over vraagstukken op het gebied van de volksgezondheid. De Raad geeft niet alleen adviezen over een optimale gezondheidszorg, kennisinfrastructuur, ziektepreventie, gezonde voeding en gezonde arbeidsomstandigheden, maar o...

The Standing Committee on Ecotoxicology of the Health Council of the Netherlands (see note at the end of this article) has reported on the potential and limitations associated with the use of food web models in ecotoxicological risk assessment. This paper closely follows the executive summary of that report. The current appoach in ecotoxicological...