The impact of urban road space on uncertainty stress: A population-based study across 43 cities in China
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Although a significant portion of urban daily life is spent in public spaces, which can directly impact mental stress, few studies have examined this relationship, and none have addressed uncertainty stress. A total of 11,954 students participated in the study, selected through a multistage survey sampling process across 50 universities in 43 cities. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on socioeconomic variables and uncertainty stress. The multilevel logistic regression model revealed that both the per capita area of paved roads and the area of paved roads in each area of city built districts were significantly associated with uncertainty stress. The odds ratio was 0.62 and 0.45 for per capita road area, and for the paved road area within city-built districts. When aggregated at the city level, a significant dose-response relationship was observed between the per capita area of paved roads, the paved road area within city-built districts, and the likelihood of uncertainty stress prevalence, with β values of -0.6754 (p < 0.001) and -0.9333 (p < 0.001).These findings may offer preliminary indications of the potential importance of urban planning in addressing uncertainty stress and its environmental determinants. In this context, greater road space appears to be associated with lower levels of uncertainty stress, suggesting that it may play a potential role within a broader set of planning considerations.
Source: Wellbeing Space and Society
Language: English
Topic: Urban Green Space and Health
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,899
OpenAlex ID: W7141874238