Living Close to Nature Is Good For You
Many Arkansans who choose to live in sparsely populated areas outside the limits of a city enjoy the aesthetic benefits of living near undeveloped green spaces. One study found that those who live next door to nature may be healthier than those who live in a city neighborhood.
A 2010 article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health documented a study in which the medical charts of 345,000 people in Holland were correlated to the person’s address and how close it was to a park, natural area, or other green space. People living near these areas had lower rates of 15 out of 24 diseases, including asthma, diabetes, intestinal complaints, and back and neck problems.
The strongest correlation was found between lack of green space and higher rates of depression and anxiety. People whose environment was 90 percent green were significantly less likely to have an anxiety disorder than those living where it was only 10 percent green (18 out of 1,000 versus 26 out of 1,000). This is the first large-scale study that relied on medical data rather than individuals’ perceptions to make a correlation between nature and health.
If you want to improve your health, but feel you must live in an urban area, take heart. A study conducted by Exeter Medical School and published this month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology tracked 1,064 participants over a five-year period, following participants who were moving to an urban area with more green spaces (such as parks and gardens) and participants who were moving to an urban area with fewer green spaces. Researchers found that those moving to an urban area with more green spaces experienced improvements in their mental health after their move.
The study assigned mental health scores based on answers to a General Health Questionnaire which included questions about a diagnosis of mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety). Participants were still experiencing mental health benefits three years after their initial move.