# The impact of urban green spaces on obesity-related eating behaviours among university students across 31 Chinese cities

## TL;DR

This study finds that more urban green spaces are linked to healthier eating behaviors among university students in China.

## Contribution

The study is one of the first to examine the relationship between urban green spaces and obesity-related eating behaviors in a large sample of Chinese university students.

## Key findings

- Greater availability of green land was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of obesity-related eating behaviors.
- A dose-response relationship was found between city-level green space and reduced probability of obesity-related eating behaviors.

## Abstract

Overweight and obesity are well-established risk factors for numerous chronic diseases, but few studies have focused on obesity-related eating behaviours (OEB). Studies suggest that living near green spaces is associated with higher physical activity levels, highlighting the need to examine how these environments specifically influence behaviours related to obesity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of urban green spaces on OEB among university students across 31 Chinese cities.

A total of 11 659 students across 31 cities participated in the study. Each respondent completed a standardised questionnaire focused on health behaviour and health in China. We obtained the data on regional characteristics from the National Bureau of Statistics. We used multilevel logistic regression models to examine the associations between urban green space and OEB. Furthermore, we conducted a quantitative analysis to demonstrate the dose-response relationship between the city-level green space and the prevalence of OEB.

Approximately 5.4% of students experienced OEB. According to a multilevel logistic regression analysis, greater availability of green land was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of OEB (odds ratio = 0.44; 95% confidence interval = 0.24, 0.67). There was also a significant inverse dose-response relationship between city-level green land area and the probability of OEB (β = −0.2784; P < 0.01).

These results reinforce existing literature demonstrating the beneficial role of green spaces in reducing stress and improving mental well-being. Future research should examine variations in student engagement with green spaces in urban environments and explore how natural environment elements can be incorporated into public health strategies across Chinese universities.