Search

In Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, there has been very little systematic attempt to document the uses and perceived health benefits of urban green spaces in cities and the factors influencing usage. We therefore sought to establish the availability, accessibility and use of urban green spaces, and the perceived health benefits in an African population. We also ascertained the factors influencing use and development of green spaces at home. A population-based survey was conducted in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, spanning 11 Municipal and 3 Sub-Metropolitan areas. Multivariable binary logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders was used to establish the association between green space use and development at home, and socio-demographic, neighbourhood and health factors. Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated from the models. Several socio-demographic (gender, age, marital status, occupation, ethnicity, religion) and district-level (population density, income level, neighbourhood greenness) factors were associated with use of green spaces and development of green spaces at home in Accra. Residents who were worried about depletion of green spaces in their community were more likely to develop green spaces at home. In neighbourhoods with moderate and high level of greenness, residents were less likely to develop green spaces at home. Five-percent and 47% of green space users in Accra reported witnessing an improvement in their physical and mental health, respectively, from use of green spaces. The study findings can inform policy action for promoting use and development of green spaces in African cities and for mitigating depletion and degradation of the limited urban greenery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban poverty is not limited to informal settlements, rather it extends throughout cities, with the poor and affluent often living in close proximity. Using a novel dataset derived from the full Ghanaian Census, we investigate how neighbourhood versus household socio-economic status (SES) relates to a set of household development outcomes (related to housing quality, energy, water and sanitation, and information technology) in Accra, Ghana. We then assess "stranger" households' outcomes within neighbourhoods: do poor households fare better in affluent neighbourhoods, and are affluent households negatively impacted by being in poor neighbourhoods? Through a simple generalized linear model we estimate the variance components associated with household and neighbourhood status for our outcome measures. Household SES is more closely associated with 13 of the 16 outcomes assessed compared to the neighbourhood average SES. For 9 outcomes poor households in affluent areas fair better, and the affluent in poor areas are worse off. For two outcomes, poor households have worse outcomes in affluent areas, and the affluent have better outcomes in poor areas, on average. For three outcomes "stranger" households do worse in strange neighbourhoods. We discuss implications for mixed development and how to direct resources through households versus location-based targets. • Household versus neighbourhood socioeconomic status – which matters more? • Do poor households fare better in high-income neighbourhoods, and vice versa? • We test these questions with the full 100 % Ghanian Census. • Poor households in affluent neighbourhoods do better on 9 of 16 outcomes we test. • Implications for mixed development and household versus location-based targeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]