Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Daily Overview |
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WR3_1: Abstract presentations: Inclusive Physical Activity: Creating Equitable Opportunities for Active Living Location: White room 3 Session Chair: Ina Šuklje Erjavec | |
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12:00pm - 12:10pm
Park Pharmacies: Reimagining Urban Green Spaces as Integrated Health Delivery Hubs for Socially Disadvantaged Populations 1: Tbilisi State Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Tbilisi, Georgia; 2: International Medical Faculty, Osh State University, Osh City, Kyrgyzstan; 3: Ken Walker International University, Faculty of Medicine, Tbilisi, Georgia; 4: CUNY - Bronx Community College, New York, USA Background and Purpose: Urban green spaces improve cardiovascular health and mental well being, but benefits are unequally distributed. Socially disadvantaged groups face barriers including poor infrastructure, safety concerns, cultural barriers and structural inequalities. We propose ‘Park Pharmacies”- reconceptualizing parks in underserved neighbourhoods as integrated health hubs combining health screening, community health workers and green social prescribing. Methods: The Park Pharmacy proposal was developed by systematically synthesizing evidence from PubMed and Google Scholar across three domains: health kiosk studies, green social prescribing research and community health worker frameworks. Initial search yielded 54 records; after screening, 6 studies met inclusion criteria. Under the proposed model, health ministries would fund community health workers, park departments would host infrastructure and insurers would reimburse services. Evaluation would assess health outcomes (blood pressure, BMI, mental health) and process measures (utilization rates, referral completion, SROI). Results: A community-based screening study found 22% of kiosk users had possible hypertension, but reach among elderly and rural populations remain limited. Prescribing nature-based activities (walking groups, community gardening) improves mental health, neurological fatigue and chronic pain, delivering £2.42-11.94 social return per £1 invested. However, implementation relies on volunteers and lacks coordination. Vegetation quality (Leaf area index) predicts cardiovascular outcomes better than mere green space presence. Conclusion: This model addresses health equity by detecting undiagnosed conditions in hard-to-reach communities, filling coordination gaps in green prescribing and capturing documented SROI. Policy implications: Fund park-based community health workers; mandate health kiosks in underserved parks; insurers reimburse park services; create cross-departmental funding; mandate culturally-inclusive co-design. | |
