Living Near Nature Linked To Longer Lives, Says Study

Living near nature linked to longer lives, says study

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2017 ) : The trees, shrubs and plants outside your home might offer something more than just pretty scenery. According to a new study, living in, or near, green areas can help women live longer and improve their mental health.

Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital examined more than 108,000 women enrolled in the Nurse's Health Study -- a nationwide investigation into risk factors for major chronic diseases in women -- from 2000 to 2008, Health news reported.

They compared risk of death with the amount of plant life and vegetation near the women's homes and found that women living in the greenest areas had a 12% lower death rate than women living in the least green areas.

The levels of vegetation were determined using satellite imagery from different seasons and years. "We were surprised to see that there was a 12 percent lower rate of mortality," said Peter James, study author and research associate at the Harvard Chan School's Department of Epidemiology.

"We know already that vegetation can help mitigate the effect of climate change. Our study suggests the potential co- benefit for health." The team believes the findings would be similar if men were included in the study.