The availability of urban green and blue spaces, even in small increments, might be linked to improved mental and physical health among older adults, as per a study by Washington State University. The research revealed that a mere 10% increase in forest area within a person’s residential ZIP code could lessen severe psychological distress. This type of distress encompasses mental health issues that necessitate treatment and disrupt everyday activities, including work and social interactions. Similarly, a 10% augmentation in green spaces, including parks, tree canopies, water bodies, or trails, was associated with a decreased likelihood of older individuals reporting their overall health as poor or fair.
Adithya Vegaraju, the study’s lead author and a medical student at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, commented on the implications of the findings. He suggested that reducing urban green and blue spaces due to swift urban development might pose environmental concerns and public health risks. The study, published in Health & Place, analyzed health survey data from over 42,000 individuals aged 65 and above residing in urban locales across Washington state from 2011 to 2019. The researchers correlated the health outcomes of these individuals, both general and mental, with various metrics measuring access to green and blue spaces within their residential ZIP codes. Approximately 2% of the surveyed participants exhibited signs of severe psychological distress, and 19% reported their general health status as fair or poor.
The research team presented early findings at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2023, focusing on the link between severe psychological distress and proximity to the nearest green and blue spaces. The final study expanded on this by exploring additional factors, such as the percentage of green space, tree canopy, forest area, open space within ZIP codes, and trail lengths. It also considered how these factors correlate with self-reported general health while accounting for demographic differences among survey respondents, like race and education level.
Vegaraju highlighted the novelty of the study, pointing out that it’s among the first in the United States to explore how proximity to nature affects the health of older adults. This demographic is particularly susceptible to mental health issues like depression, which can heighten the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Moreover, older adults are often less inclined to seek treatment for their mental health conditions.
The study also touches on the potential of “nature prescriptions,” a concept where healthcare professionals prescribe time spent in natural settings to patients. This approach could be a novel way to combat mental health issues in the elderly. Solmaz Amiri, the senior study author, emphasized the need for further research to understand how nature exposure might contribute to better mental and general health and its potential role in mitigating cognitive decline, an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Amiri, a research assistant professor at the WSU College of Medicine and a researcher at the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), hopes that the findings will help address health disparities among older adults from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. These disparities are often linked to unequal access to green and blue spaces in urban settings.
More information: Adithya Vegaraju et al, Urban green and blue spaces and general and mental health among older adults in Washington state: Analysis of BRFSS data between 2011-2019, Health & Place. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103148
Journal information: Health & Place Provided by Washington State University
