Honors Theses
Date of Award
12-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
BS
Department
Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Stephen Scyphers, Ph.D.
Advisor(s)
Tiquera Hall, Ph.D., Nancy Rice, Ph.D.
Abstract
As an African American woman from Birmingham, Alabama, I have witnessed firsthand how environmental changes can impact the quality of one’s life. I have noticed how neighborhoods only a few miles apart could have extremely different degrees of safety, wellness, and green space availability and their residents reflected these inequities. This project examines these disparities within coastal counties by assessing how individuals perceive safety and general health in local green spaces. Using a cross-sectional survey of 118 participants, the study identifies patterns shaped by socioeconomic status, occupation, and education. These results revealed how lower income individuals and those with environmentally demanding jobs experience lower perceived safety and reported poorer health. Other findings showed that participants who felt safest also reported the highest levels of health, emphasizing a connection between environment and well being. These results highlight the importance access to green space is to public health and equitable investment in community spaces.
Recommended Citation
Glover, Aryah, "Investigating Potential Relationships Among Access to Green Spaces, Perceived Safety, and Health Disparities Along the Gulf Coast" (2025). Honors Theses. 125.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_theses/125
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Community Health Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Leisure Studies Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Social Justice Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons