Significant differences in the amount of time spent outdoors by different socioeconomic groups during the Covid-19 lockdown have been identified in a new study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The research showed those in the lowest income group spent the least amount of time outdoors for recreation and leisure during a week in June when some restrictions implemented to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic had been lifted.
Those with annual earnings of less than €40,000 spent 2.6 days outdoors per week compared with the average of 3.1 days.
The highest and second-highest income groups – people with annual income of more than €100,000 – spent an average of 3.8 and 3.9. days outdoors respectively.
The findings of the study highlighted inequalities in access to and use of so-called blue and green spaces in Ireland such as beaches, lakes, parks and woodland, but excluding private gardens.
Asked about satisfaction levels with their local environment, people living in Leitrim and Laois recorded the highest average scores. The lowest scores were recorded in Limerick and Louth.
The study was carried out by a team of researchers at NUI Galway as part of the wider Sheer Wellbeing Project, which is examining the wider role of blue/green spaces in terms of environmental, socioeconomic and health factors.
Lack of access
They surveyed more than 1,000 people in June, when people were confined to within 20km of their residence.
The study found that 3.6 per cent stated a lack of access to blue/green spaces prevented them from spending time out of doors in the previous week.
One in five respondents cited Covid-19 restrictions as a barrier to accessing recreational areas, although bad weather and being busy with work were the most common reasons why people had not visited blue/green spaces.
The lack of social distancing in some spaces, such as parks and beaches, was perceived as a problem by some, particularly by people living in Dublin.
One of the report's main authors, Dr Gesche Kindermann of NUIG's Whitaker Institute for Innovation and Societal Change, said the key finding of inequalities between different socioeconomic groups in accessing and using places such as parks and beaches echoed the results of other studies.
Dr Kindermann said the way communities accessed blue/green spaces was disrupted or altered by Covid-19, although anecdotal evidence suggested more people were exercising outdoors as remote working offered greater flexibility and less commuting.
However, she said differences in access levels between various socioeconomic groups, evident in a similar survey carried out by NUIG researchers last year, remained.
“The Covid-19 new normal presents a unique transformative opportunity to rapidly ‘reset the system’ to alter behaviours and attitudes towards blue/green spaces for the betterment of our environments and our health and wellbeing,” Dr Kindermann said.
“It gives us the chance to consider accessibility and proximity to blue/green spaces when we are planning new urban and rural areas because we know the important role they play in terms of people’s mental health.”
Walking distance
The study found there were statistically significant differences in how the proximity to blue/green spaces was perceived by people in urban and rural areas.
People living in isolated locations felt blue/green spaces were beyond easy walking distance, which was not a problem for people in towns and cities.
Those over 55 years of age were more likely to visit places like parks and beaches than younger age groups.
People who reported spending the most time outdoors also recorded the highest levels of perceived good health.
The study showed 79 per cent of those who spent time outdoors six or seven days a week declared their health as good, compared with 52 per cent of those who spent no time outdoors.