William Atkins
Friday, 16 October 2009 21:29
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
Four of the major conclusions from the study are highlighted below.
They are:
• Living close to green spaces was especially helpful to children and low-income people.
• People living the closest to green areas were most helped with mental health problems. In fact, people were one-third less likely to have anxiety disorders and one-fifth less likely to receive treatment for depression.
• Living in and around green space was helpful for physical problems, too. In fact, green space appeared to be of the most benefit for people with respiratory problems such as upper respiratory infections, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Living in and around green space appeared to be of the least benefit for people with other health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The authors stated,
“The annual prevalence rate of 15 of the 24 disease clusters was lower in living environments with more green space in a 1 km [kilometer]
radius. The relation was strongest for anxiety disorder and depression."
And, "
The relation was stronger for children and people with a lower socio-economic status. Furthermore, the relation was strongest in slightly urban areas and not apparent in very strongly urban areas.” [Paper]
Page three concludes.
