John D Spengler
Biographic Data
| ID | 6069993 |
|---|---|
| NAME | John D Spengler |
| GIVEN NAMES | John D |
| FAMILY NAME | Spengler |
| SIGNATURE | SPENGLER J D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Harvard University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2569-091X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 37 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 47 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 37 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1981 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Stress reduction from landscape painting and live nature viewing: A comparative experimental study
Background: Societal trends indicate a decreasing frequency of visits to natural settings and an increasing withdrawal from such environments. Separation from natural environments may lead individuals to miss out on the health benefits associated with direct exposure to nature, including stress reduction and positive mood enhancement. Given these trends, surrogate exposures to live nature exposure might comparably reduce stress and are worth expl…
Physiological and psychological responses to transitions between urban built and natural environments using the cave automated virtual environment
Observational and experimental studies have illustrated that exposure to greenness is beneficial to long-term health and well-being. In the urban context, however, more evidence is needed for a better understanding of the short-term health impacts of nearby nature. To address this limitation, we investigated the dynamic influence of transitions between built and natural environments on urban residents using Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAV…
The effects of viewing forests with different planting densities on physiological and psychological responses: A between-subject experiment
Beyond their traditional role in timber production, plantation forests are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential. Forest management practices allow for modifications to meet diverse demands, making it crucial to understand the association between stand density and human responses. This knowledge is essential for forest therapy practitioners and landscape designers aiming to maximize the therapeutic effects of these landscapes. T…
Greenspace related to bipolar disorder in Taiwan: Quantitative benefits of saving Daly loss and increasing income
Examining the Benefits of Greenness on Reducing Suicide Mortality Rate: A Global Ecological Study
Objective: This study applied an ecological-based analysis aimed to evaluate on a global scale the association between greenness exposure and suicide mortality. Methods: Suicide mortality data provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were employed. The generalized additive mixed model was applied to evaluate with an adjustment of covariates the association between greenness …
Exploring the Potential Relationship Between Global Greenness and Daly Loss Due to Depressive Disorders
Objective Prior studies have shown that greenness can reduce the burden of depressive disorders. However, most were focused on local-scale analyses while limited evaluated globally. We aimed to investigate the association between greenness and the burden of depressive disorders using data from 183 countries worldwide. Methods We used the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to estimate greenness. Country-level disability-adjusted life ye…
Is green space exposure beneficial in a developing country
The Relationship between Nature Deprivation and Individual Wellbeing across Urban Gradients under Covid-19
Lockdown aiming at slowing COVID-19 transmission has altered nature accessibility patterns, creating quasi-experimental conditions to assess if retracted nature contact and perceived nature deprivation influence physical and emotional wellbeing. We measure through on-line survey methods ( n = 529) how pandemic mandates limiting personal movement and outdoor nature access within the United States affect self-assessed nature exposure, perceived nat…
Global greenness in relation to reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases: Ischemic heart disease and stroke
This ecological study aimed to identify the association between greenness and cardiovascular diseases in terms of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke in 183 countries worldwide. The country-level disability-adjusted life year (DALY) database provided by the WHO was used to represent the health burden due to IHD and stroke for the study countries. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI—MOD13A3) was assessed to estimate the greenness in e…
Green, Brown, and Gray: Associations between Different Measurements of Land Patterns and Depression among Nursing Students in El Paso, Texas
We did not observe an association between depression and residential greenness in El Paso, Texas. However, we did observe a protective association between brownness and depression and an adverse association with grayness. These results have theoretical implications as they were based on commonly used frameworks in this literature, and adverse association of brownness (and the lack of greenness) and depression was expected
The Effect of Surrounding Greenness on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort in Taiwan
This study determines whether surrounding greenness is associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Taiwan. A retrospective cohort study determines the relationship between surrounding greenness and the incidence of T2DM during the study period of 2001-2012 using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database. The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the global MODIS database in th…
The Influence of Heat on Daily Police, Medical, and Fire Dispatches in Boston, Massachusetts: Relative Risk and Time-Series Analyses
Objectives. To examine the impact of extreme heat on emergency services in Boston, MA. Methods. We conducted relative risk and time series analyses of 911 dispatches of the Boston Police Department (BPD), Boston Emergency Medical Services (BEMS), and Boston Fire Department (BFD) from November 2010 to April 2014 to assess the impact of extreme heat on emergency services. Results. During the warm season, there were 2% (95% confidence interval [CI] …
Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals: “Living labs” for sustainability
Purpose Universities can do more to deliver against the sustainable development goals (SDGs), working with faculty, staff and students, as well as their wider stakeholder community and alumni body. They play a critical role in helping shape new ways for the world, educating global citizens and delivering knowledge and innovation into society. Universities can be engines of societal transformation. Using a multiple case study approach, this study …
Heart Rate Variability and Performance of Commercial Airline Pilots during Flight Simulations
Pilots undergo a variety of stressors that may affect their performance during all phases of flight. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been considered as a reliable indicator of the parasympathetic and sympathetic activities of human autonomic nervous system, which can be used to characterize the sympathetic stress response of pilots during flight. In this study, thirty active commercial airline pilots were recruited to fly three flight segments i…
Building Vulnerability in a Changing Climate: Indoor Temperature Exposures and Health Outcomes in Older Adults Living in Public Housing during an Extreme Heat Event in Cambridge, MA
In the Northeastern U.S., future heatwaves will increase in frequency, duration, and intensity due to climate change. A great deal of the research about the health impacts from extreme heat has used ambient meteorological measurements, which can result in exposure misclassification because buildings alter indoor temperatures and ambient temperatures are not uniform across cities. To characterize indoor temperature exposures during an extreme heat…
Effect of Residential Greenness and Nearby Parks on Respiratory and Allergic Diseases among Middle School Adolescents in a Chinese City
Research on the health impacts of green environments has mainly been conducted in developed countries. Differences in the urban forms between China and Western countries make it essential to understand the role of greenspace in Chinese settings. From 2014 to 2015, middle school students ( n = 5643) in Suzhou, China were enrolled in a study on the health effect of residential greenness. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and distanc…
Intraurban and Longitudinal Variability of Classical Pollutants in Kraków, Poland, 2000–2010
In spite of a dramatic decrease in anthropogenic emissions, ambient concentrations of major pollutants have not changed within many urban locations. To clarify the relationship between ambient air quality trend and the population exposures, we compared the intraurban versus temporal variability of the collocated measurements of five major air pollutants including particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10), < 2.5 μm (PM2.5)…
Assessing Metal Exposures in a Community near a Cement Plant in the Northeast U.S
Cement production is a major source of metals and metalloids in the environment, while exposures to metals and metalloids may impact human health in the surrounding communities. We recruited 185 participants living in the vicinity of a cement plant in the northeast U.S., and measured the levels of aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in blood and Hg in hair samples from them. A questionnaire was us…
Economic, Environmental and Health Implications of Enhanced Ventilation in Office Buildings
The health benefits associated with enhanced ventilation rates far exceed the per-person energy costs relative to salary costs. Environmental impacts can be mitigated at regional, building, and individual-level scales through the transition to renewable energy sources, adoption of energy efficient systems and ventilation strategies, and promotion of other sustainable policies
Health Benefits of Green Public Housing: Associations With Asthma Morbidity and Building-Related Symptoms
Objectives. We examined associations of several health outcomes with green and conventional low-income housing, where the prevalence of morbidities and environmental pollutants is elevated. Methods. We used questionnaires and a visual inspection to compare sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and asthma-related morbidity among residents in multifamily units in Boston, Massachusetts, between March 2012 and May 2013. Follow-up was approximately 1 …
Environmental Conditions in Low-Income Urban Housing: Clustering and Associations With Self-Reported Health
Objectives. We explored prevalence and clustering of key environmental conditions in low-income housing and associations with self-reported health. Methods. The Health in Common Study, conducted between 2005 and 2009, recruited participants (n = 828) from 20 low-income housing developments in the Boston area. We interviewed 1 participant per household and conducted a brief inspection of the unit (apartment). We created binary indexes and a summed…
Chemical composition and sources of particle pollution in affluent and poor neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana
The highest levels of air pollution in the world now occur in developing country cities, where air pollution sources differ from high-income countries. We analyzed particulate matter (PM) chemical composition and estimated the contributions of various sources to particle pollution in poor and affluent neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana. Elements from earth’s crust were most abundant during the seasonal Harmattan period between late December and late J…
Moving Environmental Justice Indoors: Understanding Structural Influences on Residential Exposure Patterns in Low-Income Communities
Objectives. The indoor environment has not been fully incorporated into the environmental justice dialogue. To inform strategies to reduce disparities, we developed a framework to identify the individual and place-based drivers of indoor environment quality. Methods. We reviewed empirical evidence of socioeconomic disparities in indoor exposures and key determinants of these exposures for air pollutants, lead, allergens, and semivolatile organic …
Indoor concentrations of nicotine in low-income, multi-unit housing: Associations with smoking behaviours and housing characteristics
These findings have important implications for smoking regulations in multi-unit homes and highlight the need to reduce involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke among low-income housing residents
Ancillary Benefits for Caregivers of Children with Asthma Participating in an Environmental Intervention Study to Alleviate Asthma Symptoms
Moving Environmental Justice Indoors: Understanding Structural Influences on Residential Exposure Patterns in Low-Income Communities
Objectives. The indoor environment has not been fully incorporated into the environmental justice dialogue. To inform strategies to reduce disparities, we developed a framework to identify the individual and place-based drivers of indoor environment quality. Methods. We reviewed empirical evidence of socioeconomic disparities in indoor exposures and key determinants of these exposures for air pollutants, lead, allergens, and semivolatile organic …
Determinants of Allergen Concentrations in Apartments of Asthmatic Children Living in Public Housing
Housing Characteristics and Children’s Respiratory Health in the Russian Federation
Objectives. We studied housing characteristics, parental factors, and respiratory health conditions in Russian children. Methods. We studied a population of 5951 children from 9 Russian cities, whose parents answered a questionnaire on their children’s respiratory health, home environment, and housing characteristics. The health outcomes were asthma conditions, current wheeze, dry cough, bronchitis, and respiratory allergy. Results. Respiratory a…
Environmental Conditions in Low-Income Urban Housing: Clustering and Associations With Self-Reported Health
Objectives. We explored prevalence and clustering of key environmental conditions in low-income housing and associations with self-reported health. Methods. The Health in Common Study, conducted between 2005 and 2009, recruited participants (n = 828) from 20 low-income housing developments in the Boston area. We interviewed 1 participant per household and conducted a brief inspection of the unit (apartment). We created binary indexes and a summed…
Health Benefits of Green Public Housing: Associations With Asthma Morbidity and Building-Related Symptoms
Objectives. We examined associations of several health outcomes with green and conventional low-income housing, where the prevalence of morbidities and environmental pollutants is elevated. Methods. We used questionnaires and a visual inspection to compare sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and asthma-related morbidity among residents in multifamily units in Boston, Massachusetts, between March 2012 and May 2013. Follow-up was approximately 1 …
Indoor Environments and Health: Moving Into the 21st Century
The quality of our indoor environments affects well-being and productivity, and risks for diverse diseases are increased by indoor air pollutants, surface contamination with toxins and microbes, and contact among people at home, at work, in transportation, and in many other public and private places. We offer an overview of nearly a century of research directed at understanding indoor environments and health, consider current research needs, and …
Environmental tobacco smoke concentrations in no-smoking and smoking sections of restaurants
To characterize the effectiveness of a local ordinance that restricts smoking in restaurants to one third of the seating area, this study made simultaneous measurements of two markers of environmental tobacco smoke, respirable suspended particles and nicotine, in the smoking and no-smoking sections of seven restaurants. The mean concentrations of respirable suspended particles and nicotine were 40% and 65% lower, respectively, in the no-smoking t…
Asthma, Wheezing, and Allergies in Russian Schoolchildren in Relation to New Surface Materials in the Home
In a cross-sectional study of 5951 Russian 8–12-year-old schoolchildren, risks of current asthma, wheezing, and allergy were related to recent renovation and the installation of materials with potential chemical emissions. New linoleum flooring, synthetic carpeting, particleboard, wall coverings, and furniture and recent painting were determinants of 1 or several of these 3 health outcomes. These findings warrant further attention to the type of …
Nitrogen dioxide exposures inside ice skating rinks
OBJECTIVES. The common operation of fuel-powered resurfacing equipment in enclosed ice skating rinks has the potential for producing high concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Exposures to these gaseous combustion products may adversely affect the health of those inside the rink. Little information is available on pollutant concentrations under normal operating conditions. METHODS. One-week average nitrogen dioxide concentration…
A personal monitoring study to assess workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
We enrolled 15 nonsmoking volunteers to evaluate the feasibility of measuring personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at work and to characterize workplace exposures. During one workshift, we obtained questionnaires on exposure, saliva and urine for cotinine, and personal air samples for respirable particles and nicotine. The levels of cotinine, respirable particles, and nicotine varied widely with self-reports of exposure to ETS, …
The Influence of Heat on Daily Police, Medical, and Fire Dispatches in Boston, Massachusetts: Relative Risk and Time-Series Analyses
Objectives. To examine the impact of extreme heat on emergency services in Boston, MA. Methods. We conducted relative risk and time series analyses of 911 dispatches of the Boston Police Department (BPD), Boston Emergency Medical Services (BEMS), and Boston Fire Department (BFD) from November 2010 to April 2014 to assess the impact of extreme heat on emergency services. Results. During the warm season, there were 2% (95% confidence interval [CI] …
Health Effects of Fossil Fuel Burning: Assessment and Mitigation
A personal monitoring study to assess workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
We enrolled 15 nonsmoking volunteers to evaluate the feasibility of measuring personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at work and to characterize workplace exposures. During one workshift, we obtained questionnaires on exposure, saliva and urine for cotinine, and personal air samples for respirable particles and nicotine. The levels of cotinine, respirable particles, and nicotine varied widely with self-reports of exposure to ETS, …
An Association between Air Pollution and Mortality in Six U.S. Cities
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported associations between particulate air pollution and daily mortality rates. Population-based, cross-sectional studies of metropolitan areas in the United States have also found associations between particulate air pollution and annual mortality rates, but these studies have been criticized, in part because they did not directly control for cigarette smoking and other health risks. METHODS: In this prospectiv…
Environmental tobacco smoke concentrations in no-smoking and smoking sections of restaurants
To characterize the effectiveness of a local ordinance that restricts smoking in restaurants to one third of the seating area, this study made simultaneous measurements of two markers of environmental tobacco smoke, respirable suspended particles and nicotine, in the smoking and no-smoking sections of seven restaurants. The mean concentrations of respirable suspended particles and nicotine were 40% and 65% lower, respectively, in the no-smoking t…
Nitrogen dioxide exposures inside ice skating rinks
OBJECTIVES. The common operation of fuel-powered resurfacing equipment in enclosed ice skating rinks has the potential for producing high concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Exposures to these gaseous combustion products may adversely affect the health of those inside the rink. Little information is available on pollutant concentrations under normal operating conditions. METHODS. One-week average nitrogen dioxide concentration…
Determinants of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in indoor ice skating rinks
OBJECTIVES: The combination of poor ventilation and fuel-powered ice resurfacers has resulted in elevated nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in many indoor ice skating rinks. This study examined the factors influencing concentrations and the effects of various engineering controls in ice rinks with different resurfacer fuels. METHODS: Indoor NO2 concentrations were measured in 19 enclosed ice skating rinks over 3 winters by means of passive sa…
Saving Energy versus Saving Materials: Life‐Cycle Inventory Analysis of Housing in a Cold‐Climate Region of Japan
To reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in housing construction, the energy‐intensive processes and life‐cycle stages should be identified and integrated. The environmental impact of vertically integrated factory‐built homes (VIHs) constructed with increased material inputs in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido was assessed using life‐cycle inventory (LCI) analysis methods. Manufacturing process energy and CO 2 intensit…
Indoor Environments and Health: Moving Into the 21st Century
The quality of our indoor environments affects well-being and productivity, and risks for diverse diseases are increased by indoor air pollutants, surface contamination with toxins and microbes, and contact among people at home, at work, in transportation, and in many other public and private places. We offer an overview of nearly a century of research directed at understanding indoor environments and health, consider current research needs, and …
Housing Characteristics and Children’s Respiratory Health in the Russian Federation
Objectives. We studied housing characteristics, parental factors, and respiratory health conditions in Russian children. Methods. We studied a population of 5951 children from 9 Russian cities, whose parents answered a questionnaire on their children’s respiratory health, home environment, and housing characteristics. The health outcomes were asthma conditions, current wheeze, dry cough, bronchitis, and respiratory allergy. Results. Respiratory a…
Asthma, Wheezing, and Allergies in Russian Schoolchildren in Relation to New Surface Materials in the Home
In a cross-sectional study of 5951 Russian 8–12-year-old schoolchildren, risks of current asthma, wheezing, and allergy were related to recent renovation and the installation of materials with potential chemical emissions. New linoleum flooring, synthetic carpeting, particleboard, wall coverings, and furniture and recent painting were determinants of 1 or several of these 3 health outcomes. These findings warrant further attention to the type of …
Rethinking Environmental Performance from a Public Health Perspective: A Comparative Industry Analysis
To date the most common measures of environmental performance used to compare industries, and by extension firms or facilities, have been quantity of pollution emitted or hazardous waste generated. Discharge information, however, does not necessarily capture potential health effects. We propose an alternative environmental performance measure that includes the public health risks of toxic air emissions extended to industry supply chains using eco…
Determinants of Allergen Concentrations in Apartments of Asthmatic Children Living in Public Housing
Indoor concentrations of nicotine in low-income, multi-unit housing: Associations with smoking behaviours and housing characteristics
These findings have important implications for smoking regulations in multi-unit homes and highlight the need to reduce involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke among low-income housing residents
Ancillary Benefits for Caregivers of Children with Asthma Participating in an Environmental Intervention Study to Alleviate Asthma Symptoms
Moving Environmental Justice Indoors: Understanding Structural Influences on Residential Exposure Patterns in Low-Income Communities
Objectives. The indoor environment has not been fully incorporated into the environmental justice dialogue. To inform strategies to reduce disparities, we developed a framework to identify the individual and place-based drivers of indoor environment quality. Methods. We reviewed empirical evidence of socioeconomic disparities in indoor exposures and key determinants of these exposures for air pollutants, lead, allergens, and semivolatile organic …
Chemical composition and sources of particle pollution in affluent and poor neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana
The highest levels of air pollution in the world now occur in developing country cities, where air pollution sources differ from high-income countries. We analyzed particulate matter (PM) chemical composition and estimated the contributions of various sources to particle pollution in poor and affluent neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana. Elements from earth’s crust were most abundant during the seasonal Harmattan period between late December and late J…
Environmental Conditions in Low-Income Urban Housing: Clustering and Associations With Self-Reported Health
Objectives. We explored prevalence and clustering of key environmental conditions in low-income housing and associations with self-reported health. Methods. The Health in Common Study, conducted between 2005 and 2009, recruited participants (n = 828) from 20 low-income housing developments in the Boston area. We interviewed 1 participant per household and conducted a brief inspection of the unit (apartment). We created binary indexes and a summed…
Intraurban and Longitudinal Variability of Classical Pollutants in Kraków, Poland, 2000–2010
In spite of a dramatic decrease in anthropogenic emissions, ambient concentrations of major pollutants have not changed within many urban locations. To clarify the relationship between ambient air quality trend and the population exposures, we compared the intraurban versus temporal variability of the collocated measurements of five major air pollutants including particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10), < 2.5 μm (PM2.5)…
Assessing Metal Exposures in a Community near a Cement Plant in the Northeast U.S
Cement production is a major source of metals and metalloids in the environment, while exposures to metals and metalloids may impact human health in the surrounding communities. We recruited 185 participants living in the vicinity of a cement plant in the northeast U.S., and measured the levels of aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in blood and Hg in hair samples from them. A questionnaire was us…
Economic, Environmental and Health Implications of Enhanced Ventilation in Office Buildings
The health benefits associated with enhanced ventilation rates far exceed the per-person energy costs relative to salary costs. Environmental impacts can be mitigated at regional, building, and individual-level scales through the transition to renewable energy sources, adoption of energy efficient systems and ventilation strategies, and promotion of other sustainable policies
Health Benefits of Green Public Housing: Associations With Asthma Morbidity and Building-Related Symptoms
Objectives. We examined associations of several health outcomes with green and conventional low-income housing, where the prevalence of morbidities and environmental pollutants is elevated. Methods. We used questionnaires and a visual inspection to compare sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and asthma-related morbidity among residents in multifamily units in Boston, Massachusetts, between March 2012 and May 2013. Follow-up was approximately 1 …
Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals: “Living labs” for sustainability
Purpose Universities can do more to deliver against the sustainable development goals (SDGs), working with faculty, staff and students, as well as their wider stakeholder community and alumni body. They play a critical role in helping shape new ways for the world, educating global citizens and delivering knowledge and innovation into society. Universities can be engines of societal transformation. Using a multiple case study approach, this study …
Heart Rate Variability and Performance of Commercial Airline Pilots during Flight Simulations
Pilots undergo a variety of stressors that may affect their performance during all phases of flight. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been considered as a reliable indicator of the parasympathetic and sympathetic activities of human autonomic nervous system, which can be used to characterize the sympathetic stress response of pilots during flight. In this study, thirty active commercial airline pilots were recruited to fly three flight segments i…
Building Vulnerability in a Changing Climate: Indoor Temperature Exposures and Health Outcomes in Older Adults Living in Public Housing during an Extreme Heat Event in Cambridge, MA
In the Northeastern U.S., future heatwaves will increase in frequency, duration, and intensity due to climate change. A great deal of the research about the health impacts from extreme heat has used ambient meteorological measurements, which can result in exposure misclassification because buildings alter indoor temperatures and ambient temperatures are not uniform across cities. To characterize indoor temperature exposures during an extreme heat…
Effect of Residential Greenness and Nearby Parks on Respiratory and Allergic Diseases among Middle School Adolescents in a Chinese City
Research on the health impacts of green environments has mainly been conducted in developed countries. Differences in the urban forms between China and Western countries make it essential to understand the role of greenspace in Chinese settings. From 2014 to 2015, middle school students ( n = 5643) in Suzhou, China were enrolled in a study on the health effect of residential greenness. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and distanc…
Medicine (30 works) · Environmental health (25 works) · Geography (16 works) · Urban Green Space and Health (14 works) · Environmental Science (13 works) · Air Quality and Health Impacts (12 works) · Ecology (11 works) · Population (10 works) · Demography (9 works) · Engineering (9 works)