Near-Home Greenery, Environmental Stressors, and Parental Stress: A Mixed-Methods Field Study Using Environmental Monitoring and Walking Interviews

Abstract

Parental stress is increasingly understood as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped not only by psychological and socioeconomic factors but also by the physical environments in which everyday parenting occurs. However, empirical evidence linking near-home greenery, objectively measured environmental stressors, and parental stress remains limited, particularly in environmentally underserved communities. This mixed-methods field study, conducted in Arab residential towns and neighbourhoods in Israel, examines how residential vegetation density influences emotional and parental stress and whether reductions in environmental stressors constitute key underlying mechanisms. The study included 147 participants who completed all study components. Data were collected during the summer months (May–October 2024). Near-home greenery was quantified using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Environmental stressors (noise, carbon monoxide concentration, and thermal load) were measured in situ during walking interviews conducted around participants’ homes. Emotional stress and parental functioning were assessed using validated questionnaires, and qualitative interviews captured lived experiences of environmental stress and restoration. Higher NDVI levels were associated with lower noise exposure, reduced air pollution, and attenuated thermal load. Parents living in greener environments reported lower emotional stress and higher perceived parenting competence, with emotional stress mediating the effects of environmental quality on parental outcomes. Qualitative findings showed that near-home greenery supports everyday emotional regulation through shade, quiet, and micro-restorative encounters, while parents in vegetation-poor areas actively created greenery as a coping strategy. These findings demonstrate that living in greener residential environments reduces parental stress through measurable environmental pathways and lived experience, highlighting near-home greenery as a critical public health and planning resource.