An investigation of the effects of algisal sensory characteristics on people's green exercise and mental health

With the rapid population growth in the 21st century, cities have become the living space of millions of people. With the increase in urbanization, the recreation needs of people living in cities have also increased. A growing number of studies show that urban green spaces have positive effects on people's mental health, physical health, and physical activity. The most important impact of physical activities is stated as green exercise. Green exercise is defined as all kinds of physical activities such as walking, running, cycling, and sports performed in green areas. Studies conducted in recent years indicate differences in the characteristic structure of urban green areas and state that green spaces with different characteristics may have different effects on people's green exercises. However, there is no research examining the effects of Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSD) (nature, serene, refuge, prospect, rich in species, social, and culture), developed in 2010, on people's green exercises. For this reason, this thesis study aims to examine the effects of Perceived Sensory Dimensions on people's green exercises and mental health. In this context, the data of this thesis study were collected through a face-to-face survey conducted with 375 participants aged 18 and over in 2023-2024 in green spaces determined in Aydın and Izmir city centers. In the thesis study, 8 different PSDs, green exercise (frequency of green exercise and duration of green exercise), perceived restoration (ART components: being away, fascination, coherence, and compatibility), Perceived Stress Scale, and General Health Questionnaire were analyzed with multiple linear regression analysis controlling for the socio-economic status of the participants. As a result of the analyses, it was found that the 'prospect' characteristic was positively associated with the frequency of green exercise, while the 'space' and 'social' characteristics were found to be negatively associated with the frequency of green exercise. It was determined that the distance from home to the parks was negatively associated with the frequency of green exercise. In terms of the duration of green exercise, only the 'social' characteristic was found to be positively associated with the duration of green exercise. In terms of perceived restoration, the characteristics of 'nature', 'refuge', 'space', and 'culture' were positively associated with perceived restoration, while the 'refuge' characteristic provided more effective perceived restoration compared to the others; On the other hand, it was determined that the 'social' characteristic was negatively correlated with perceived restoration. The distance of the house to the green spaces and the duration of green exercise were also found to be positively associated with perceived restoration. In terms of stress and mental health, the findings revealed that the characteristics of 'refuge', 'space', and 'culture' were positively associated with stress levels, while the characteristic feature of 'social' was found to be negatively related to stress. The frequency of green exercise was also found to be positively associated with stress. Findings showed that 'refuge' and 'social' characteristics were negatively associated with mental health. It was determined that the frequency of green exercise was positively associated with mental health. In light of the findings, it has been suggested that certain characteristics of urban green spaces should be provided based on the findings found in this thesis. In addition, suggestions have been made for landscape architects who have a say in the planning and design of urban green spaces and policy-makers who have a say in the determination and construction of these areas regarding urban green spaces' characteristics that will positively contribute to people's frequency and duration of green exercise, as well as to their stress and mental health. Keywords: Perceived sensory dimensions, Urban green space, green exercise, Perceived restoration, Mental health, Nature based solutions, Türkiye