Greening America for health
MATTHEW EDLUND M.D.
Contributing Columnist
health@lbknews.com
Health inequality is a fact of American life. The Eight Americas Study, looking at the whole U.S. population, discovered breathtaking differences in survival. American Indian males on the reservation barely make it into their late 50s, while Asian American women in metropolitan New York average more than 91 years of life expectancy. Trying to fix such health inequality should be a national priority — but it also appears daunting.
Is a disparity of more than 33 years the result of differentials in medical care? Mainly, no. The difference in survival comes mostly from lifestyle and environment. Now Scottish studies are showing the differences between classes might halve simply by making the environment a little greener.
The research, highlighted by the BBC, studied the survival of 360,000 British city dwellers. Proximity to even small amounts of greenery related to improved survival. If there was a fair-sized bit of parkland around, survival differences between the highest and the lowest socio-economic groups declined by half, a result that is five to 10 times better than what “improved” health care does in many studies.
Why greenery improves survival
The British study is not an outlier. Many recent studies argue that populations living near greenswards live longer and better with decreased heart attack, stroke and depression rates. The real question is why.
Physical activity
The presumption of many environmental studies is that green areas improve survival through increased physical activity. Various studies show that denizens of “stressful, dense” cities like New York City live considerably longer than expected, supposedly because they can’t get everywhere by car and have to walk. Green areas can encourage walking and exercise, but only when they are safe. Many an American or British urban dweller will not go near certain parks. That greenspace increases physical activity might explain some but certainly not all of its positive health effects.
Socialization
Less acknowledged, but well supported, is the idea that green spaces increase social engagement. It’s a lot easier to walk with your family and meet the neighbors when there’s a nice park nearby. Strangers intermingle, saying hello to dogs, sitting on the same bench, talking about the neighborhood.
Thirty years of study demonstrates social support can markedly decrease heart attacks and strokes. More recent studies show that marked decreases in the stress response even come with acquaintances and ‘friends’ created in artificial laboratory conditions. Then there are cultural factors.
Cultural and mental health effects
Other British studies show that individuals are much happier walking through a wood than strolling through a mall. Many a walker, jogger, hiker or runner will tell you how much sweeter it is to move through a park than crunch down a high school track.
Greenspaces may exert some healthy effects through “social mixing,” or bringing together members of a community who would otherwise not meet. This type of engagement can improve the sense of community and people’s basic sense of safety.
The Dutch treat major depression by taking people to work on farms. In other countries, depressed groups have been taken out for walks in parks, often cleaning up the environment as they go.
Pollution
Lung cancers are rising worldwide among non-smokers. For a long time, much of the cause was ascribed to indoor pollution. However, soot and small particulates are now recognized as important lung cancer inducers.
Trees and other plants help get rid of such particulates, and by acting as the “lungs” of a town or city, decrease overall pollution. Greenspaces make the air cleaner.
Rest
For a population that runs like Wiley E. Coyote, rushing around like mad until they suddenly “crash” and “drop dead” into a deep sleep they hope turns off like a fast switch on waking, green spaces provide excellent places to slow down and rest. Walking around with a friend or family members combines physical activity with social and mental rest. For many, parks are where they reconnect with nature, temporarily escaping from four concrete walls.
Policy implications
America will soon try to reform its immense and immensely wasteful health care system. Yet other means to improve the nation’s health more rapidly lie at hand.
Green spaces work. They re-knit communities and improve individual health. Rebuilding infrastructure cannot only help the economy through immediately creating jobs, but can create stronger, healthier communities with greater social cohesion and improved physical and mental health. It’s something to think about when reviewing development along spaces like Sarasota’s bayfront.
Going green means more than producing alternative energy, creating national energy independence and decreasing global warming. Adding greenspaces to where we live can also make us healthier and our nation more equitable.
Dr. Matthew Edlund practices sleep medicine and psychiatry in Sarasota. His new book, “Designed To Last,” is available online. He can be reached at 365-4308 and via his Web site at doctoredlund.com.
