People walk through the mall in the Park, August 16, 2012 :, Central Park, New York, USA 16 August Mall Credit Image: Earthscape ImageGra...
People walk through the mall in the Park, August 16, 2012 :, Central Park, New York, USA 16 August Mall
Credit Image: Earthscape ImageGraphy / Shutterstock
Many of us plant trees, shrubs and other plants around our homes, to beautify our environment. A recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives published found that this attractive vegetation and another important advantage is - the man in green neighborhoods live longer be able to live.
TH Chan scientists from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts judged the surrounding greenery houses 108 630 women. both in vegetation and deaths of the participants were from 2000 to 2008 followed changes, the researchers found that women who have more vegetation around their homes have had a mortality rate of 12 per cent lower than the living in the least green areas.
The biggest differences in death rates for kidney disease were, respiratory diseases and cancer observed. Women in the top 20 percent green area residents were 41 percent less likely to have kidney disease than of dying in the lowest 20 percent. They had a 34 percent lower respiratory disease mortality and a rate of 13 percent less cancer mortality. No significant correlation appeared between the green and to exist the risk of death from coronary heart disease, diabetes or infections.
The study, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), is the first in the green and mortality to draw their subjects from across the United States. Participants were in the Health Nurses Study (NHS), a long-term study added that examines the risk factors for chronic diseases in women, questionnaires of more than 100,000 women gather every two years since 1976th
Researchers at Harvard, he sacrificed the data from women in the NHS study in 2000 were alive and had at least one home address can be assigned to the latitude and longitude for the purpose satellite image - in 2000, there were at least 10 nurses in the study, participating in each of the contiguous United States.
Considering the received between 2000 and 2008 questionnaires, the scientists to identify the specific characteristics of each participant. This distinguishes the study of recent research in the green and mortality, which was on aggregated data often based. The analysis of each character, which enabled them, the mortality to control risk factors for potential confounders such as age, ethnicity, smoking and socioeconomic status.
Bonnie Joubert, director of NIEHS scientific program that oversaw the support of the research institute, emphasizes another aspect of the study from previous studies differed. "An important detail was as [scientists] forever," she said. "Many previous studies have used postal code data have other ecological studies carried out, these authors provide more detail or more granularity the amount of green.".
Clever use of satellite images from NASA's Terra satellite provided that the level of detail, allowing scientists to measure the green around the residence of each participant, instead of looking at the broader community data. Data from satellite imagery was used to measure the amount of visible light, was absorbed into the plants to houses by the chlorophyll, and reflected at near infrared light leaves the lot through the plant. The scientists then put the information in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), to estimate the density of vegetation every house surrounding - more value NDVI vegetation in.
Scientists measured greenness within 250 meters and 1,250 meters respectively checked residence. The radius of 250 meters, the space around the house directly available to the subscriber has been to look at than the radius of 1,250 meters, the area to be reached in 10 to 15 minutes. The limits are updated as NDVI changed in the eight years of the study. They adjusted even if the participants moved to new residential addresses.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that the connection between the green and a lower risk of death is primarily due to improved mental health and increased social activity. An increase in physical activity and to reduce exposure to air pollution in the parks also appear factors. (Read the report in the Journal of the growing evidence that the health benefits green spaces here.)
After Joubert to understand more research why exposure to trees, plants and shrubs have a positive impact on the mental health and inspires people to bring social engagement is not required. "It would be interesting to investigate this with a little more depth to which why these things deepen," he said -. You: "I believe there is great potential for future research to dig deeper sleep."
Joubert said the study has the potential to have a positive impact on the lives of people on several levels. At the individual level, it was to encourage it people, the vegetation could improve around their homes and increase the use of green common areas such as parks and trails. In social terms, the results could planner promote improvements in urban green areas to be considered.
"I hope that in general, the results of the study will encourage the various efforts to increase the green and improve your health, especially those with the lowest exposure to green," says Joubert.
This research adds to the growing evidence that trees, shrubs and other plants around us not only aesthetically, but can have a significant impact on our health and longevity as well. Hopefully this will on the people and governments to increase influence the immaturity of our communities in order to create a healthier life spaces that everyone can reap the benefits.
