The Influence of Greenness on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Prevalence in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas: A Case Study of Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Abstract

Green areas contribute to the creation of favorable surroundings that have significant effects on people's health. This study examines the distribution of greenness and its influence on NCDs in the subdistricts of San Pa Pao, which represents the semi-urban area, and Thep Sadet, which represents the rural area, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The greenness data obtained from Landsat 8 satellite images and the NCD data of the residents came from Ban Pa Kang Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital and the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office, which was separated into three groups: healthy, at-risk, and patient. To determine the mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) surrounding residences, a buffer was constructed from the residents' position in distance 300 meters. The mean NDVI differences between the health groups were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The results from the analysis found that in San Pa Pao and Thep Sadet subdistrict, the mean of NDVI surrounding residence of the patient group is significantly lower than the at-risk and healthy groups with the statistically significant level at 0.05. However, the influence of greenness on NCDs is complex, the physical and lifestyle characteristics have played an important role in the influence of greenness on NCDs illness, which requires further study to precisely explanation.