Land use influences human mental and respiratory health in a conservation priority area in southeastern Brazil

Human activities generate negative environmental impacts that can compromise ecological processes and ecosystem services and thus, influence human health. We assessed how natural and altered areas affect human respiratory and mental health in one of the largest mining provinces in the world, the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF), in southeastern Brazil. We used a model selection approach to evaluate socioeconomic and environmental factors that would influence hospitalization rates for mental and behavioral disorders, as well as for respiratory diseases in 22 municipalities in QF. Municipalities with higher rates of urbanization had higher rates of hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders. Conversely, the adult population (15-59 years old) of both gender and the elderly female population (60 years old or more) presented lower rates of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in municipalities with a higher rate of urbanization, suggesting a greater ease of access to prophylactic measures of the population located in these municipalities compared to those with a lower rate of urbanization. Municipalities with larger urban forest areas had lower rates of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in the young (0-14 years) female population, while municipalities with larger mining areas had higher rates. The elderly male population (60 years or older) also had higher rates of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in municipalities with larger mining areas. Our findings show important ecosystem services provided by urban forests and highlight impacts on health, in different segments of the population, due to anthropogenic changes in the landscape. Highlights We present a multiscale method to determine factors that influence human health. Demographic groups are differently influenced by socio-environmental variables. Urbanization rate is associated with worse mental health of human population. Forest in urban areas is associated with better respiratory health for children. Mining is associated with worse respiratory health for children and elderly. Graphical Abstract