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- October 2009
- Green living improves health
Green living improves health
16 October 2009: Living near green space improves your health, particularly your mental health, according to Dutch researchers.
Over a quarter of a million people took part in the year long study. The researchers used information collected at doctor’s surgeries to see if there was a link between living in a green area for a year or more and different types of disease, such as respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal conditions and mental health problems.
The researchers found that people who lived within 1km of a green space were less likely to have an illness than those who didn’t. This was regardless of where they lived in the country, age, gender, level of education and how wealthy they were.
Depression and anxiety disorders, neck and back complaints, severe elbow, wrist and hand conditions, upper respiratory disorders and medically unexplained symptoms were all less common in people who lived in areas with more green space. Children under 12 and those aged between 46 and 65 were shown to be the most positively influenced by green space.
Medical director for Bupa International, Dr Sneh Khemka, said: “Green living environments have been linked to improved health before, particularly for mental health conditions, and this study reinforces these previous findings.
“More research will help us understand how the interactions with our environment increase our feeling of wellbeing and improve health,” he added.
Key facts
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More than half of the world’s population (3.3 billion) lives in cities.
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This number is expected to increase to five billion people by 2030.
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Worldwide chronic disease causes six out of 10 deaths.
- Up to half of all people worldwide will have a mental health condition during their lifetime.
Read the study
Maas J, Verheij R A, de Vries S et al. Morbidity is related to a green living environment. J Epidemiol Community Health 2009;0:1-7. doi:10.1136/jech.2008.079038
http://tinyurl.com/yh8r53b
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