Women Live Longer When Surrounded By Nature

Scientists from the United States examined the association between residential greenness and mortality. The results were amazing. They found that women who were living up to 250 meters  next to the nature, had a 12% lower rate of mortality.
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The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems.

From many years in the science, greenness has been hypothesized to benefit health by:

  • lowering exposure to air pollution and extreme heat;
  • increasing opportunities for physical activities;
  • provide a location for social engagement;
  • decreasing psychological stress and depression through direct contact with nature

This time, researchers from Boston (Massachusetts), examined the prospective association between residential greenness and mortality. It was first study, which did not rely on aggregated data. Therefore, inferences about the effect of greenness on individual health were more robust, compared to the previous studies.

Scientists with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital used data from 108,630 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study across the U.S. (see map below) from 2000 and 2008, and supplemented them with satellite imagery in order to estimate the seasonal greenness surrounding each participant’s address.

map of use health study

Scientists found that women who were living up to 250 meters  next to the nature, had a 12% lower rate of mortality. Results were also consistent for the 1250 meters area.

What more interesting, the associations between mortality rates and greenness were the strongest for respiratory health problems and cancer. The respiratory and cancer related deaths were 34% and 13% lower, respectively. 

It was concluded that higher levels of green vegetation were associated with decreased mortality. Therefore, all policies that tend to increase vegetation may provide opportunities for physical activity, reduce harmful exposures, increase social engagement, and improve mental health.

Norway (15th place by life expectancy according to WHO) is one example, where people know how to surround their houses by nature (see first photo above text).

You can read whole article here:

James P., J.E. Hart, R.F.Banay, F.Laden. 2016. Exposure to Greenness and Mortality in a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Women. Environ Health Perspect. 

 

2 thoughts on “Women Live Longer When Surrounded By Nature

  1. Fantastic! This rhymes with the people of old as told in the Bible. The could live for hundreds of years, possibly because they were living, not next to nature, but in harmony with it. Can modern man ever learn?

  2. O….. ototototo……kierowniku. To tez jest taki pic na wode dla blondynek podjezdzajacych pod sklep z eko – zywnoscia 4 litrowym SUVem…….Kierownik tego bloga nie jest chyba blondynka ?…….Jesli nie, to prosze uzyc szarych komorek. Naukofffcy radzieccy ….tfu amerykanscy (ale to nie robi roznicy w tym wypadku) dowodza, ze kobiety zyja w Stanach dluzej, jak zyja blizej zieleni = zielen ma blogoslawiony wplyw na plec inna oraz wachanie kwiatkow oraz ziolek przedluza zycie na tym padole. Otoz mozna postawic teze, ze ta stwierdzona przez ludzi radzieckich ….tfu amerykanskich zaleznosc dlugosci zycia z zielenina ma g…no do czynienia…….To sie da bardzo prosto wydedukowac i sprawdzic. Nawet w Warszawce…….

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