People, Places and Public Health:

Evaluating the Benefits of Civic Environmentalism in an Urban Local Government Context

Dr. Mardie Townsend

Deakin University

“The environmental crisis is an outward

manifestation of a crisis of mind and spirit. There

could be no greater misconception of its meaning

than to believe it is concerned only with

endangered wild-life, human-made ugliness, and

pollution. These are part of it, but more

importantly, the crisis is concerned with the kind

of creatures we are and what we must become in

order to survive.”

Lynton K. Caldwell

Threats to the sustainability of Australian ecosystems:

• Species extinctions

• Land clearing

• Water consumption

• Greenhouse gas emissions

Threats to human health and wellbeing:

• Rapid increase in obesity

• Growing rates of mental illness

• High levels of family breakdown

• Declining social capital/community cohesion

So what’s going to happen?

• “If we don’t change, we’ll get where we are going” (Anon)

• Continued environmental degradation

• Deteriorating health and wellbeing

• Further loss of community cohesion

But perhaps there’s another way…:

• Civic environmentalism:

- communal actions to promote ecosystem sustainability

may have spin-off benefits by

- promoting human health and wellbeing

Human health & wellbeing:

• ‘Health’ – “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organisation, 1946)

• ‘Wellbeing’ includes: satisfactory human relationships, meaningful occupation, opportunities for contact with nature, creative expression, and making a positive contribution to human society (Furnass, 1996)

Nature and health:

• Humans are dependent on nature for survival and for wellbeing

• The ‘Biophilia’ hypothesis

• The benefits include: reduced stress, boosted immunity, enhanced mental health, speedier recovery

• Mechanisms: viewing nature; being in nature; contact with plants; contact with animals

A Tale of Two Studies:

• Initial study of ‘Friends of Damper Creek Inc.’

- small pilot study to identify issues & benefits of civic environmentalism

• Follow-up study in City of Hobsons Bay

- to measure health & social capital benefits, & explore potential for use as an upstream health promotion measure

Motivations identified in the pilot study:

• Environmental

• Social

• Pragmatic

Benefits identified in pilot study:

• Sense of community/belonging friendships & security

• Sense of satisfaction from work done

• Learning opportunities – environmental knowledge/knowledge of local government

• Physical activity better health

• Improved/maintained environment to use

Health benefits (pilot study):• Physical health benefits:

- physical activity- breathing “fresh air”

• Mental health benefits:- shared fun “lifts the spirits”- mental relaxation/calming effect- reduced stress

• Social health benefits:- increased sense of belonging- children know other people in the area- encouragement for the elderly to use the area

Potential for use of Friends groups for upstream health promotion:

• Unanimous support from pilot study respondents

• Must be voluntary – no coercion

• A number of barriers – need for interesting activities; joiners vs. non-joiners; time; lack of understanding of benefits; community lethargy

City of Hobsons Bay:

• Hobsons Bay is a suburb in the west of Melbourne.

Truganina Explosives Reserve:

• 17 hectare area of land at the mouth of Laverton Creek in Altona

• ⅓ of site is an important archaeological reserve in terms of Aboriginal history

• important in terms of history/industrial archaeology

• important in preservation of native flora & fauna (Altona Skipper Butterfly)

• adjacent to Cheetham Wetlands (RAMSAR)

Truganina Explosives Reserve:

Truganina Explosives Reserve:

Truganina Explosives Reserve:

Truganina Explosives Reserve Preservation Society (TERPS):

• Formed in 1995 to fight State Government plans to sell the land for development

• Since 2000 has worked with Hobsons Bay City Council to transform site into a park

• 38 individual members

The follow-up study:

• 15 interviews with TERPS members;

• Survey of 50 users of the trail alongside the reserve

• Focus group with key stakeholders

Benefits identified by Hobsons Bay study:

• Physical, mental & social benefits as in Damper Creek study

• Economic benefits (eg. in house prices)

• Encouragement for open space managers

• Community pride & personal self esteem

Other key findings from Hobsons Bay study:

• 10/15 respondents aged 65+

• Only 2/15 aged <44

• Social cohesion (Buckner’s 1988 scale of neighbourhood cohesion) of TERPS members = mean rating of 4.07 out of 5 (ie. very high)

Health & wellbeing profile of Hobsons Bay study sample:

• TERPS members average 1-4 GP visits per year compared with population mean of 6.2 visits

• The range of GP visits for TERPS members was <1 to >15 visits per year

• 11/15 respondents assess their wellbeing as ‘high’ & 3/15 assess it as ‘moderate’

• Among those claiming ‘high’ wellbeing were 5 people suffering chronic health problems

What TERPS members say:

• “I’m doing something I want to do … it gives me something to focus on”

• “It gives you a sense of belonging … you are doing something constructive … you are out in the fresh air … with good people”

• “gave me a good reason to do something and got me out of the house … it was like a dose of medicine!”

Potential identified through Hobsons Bay study:

• Majority of TERPS members agree on potential for intentional use of civic environmentalism for health promotion

• Recognition of difficulties with some population groups – young families, new migrants, the ‘reticent’ or shy

What is needed to promote health via civic environmentalism?

• Inventory of natural assets & their benefits• Understanding & clear statement about nature-

health links• Understanding of where people are (their

interests, purpose, concerns) as starting point• Recognition & addressing of safety concerns• A visible champion!

What needs to happen to sustain civic environmentalism?

• Welcoming people• Interest generating opportunities• Realistic goals & plans• Thanks/praise/recognition• Publicity to GPs & PCPs• Prescribe a park instead of a pill!