Posted on 06/29/2016 1:27:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Odds are if you’re reading this, you reside in a city. More than half the world’s people — or just about 3.5 billion — now live in urban areas. That number is expected to swell to 5 billion by mid-century, according to the World Health Organization. A new study shows that while you can take the people away from nature, it’s a bad idea to take nature away from the people. University of Queensland researchers are among the first to advise how often and how intimately city dwellers need to engage with nature for it to make them healthier.
Some experts regard nature as the antidote to 21st-century maladies like childhood obesity and even crime, citing the numerous previous studies over more than 40 years that attribute lower blood pressure, lower rates of heart disease and allergies, and better mental health, among other benefits, to spending time in nature. As a result, cities everywhere are upstarting and upgrading green spaces — the 100 largest cities in the United States spent $6 billion to do so in 2015 alone.
If every city dweller got at least 30 minutes exposure to nature every week, there would be 7 percent fewer cases of depression and 9 percent fewer people with high blood pressure.
Because current advice about how green spaces improve public health is general at best, the Australian researchers set out to pinpoint what would make these investments cost-effective. They sought to learn how frequently a person should visit nature and how long they should spend there to reap benefits like better state of mind and lower blood pressure. Since not all nature is created the same, they also measured how the quality and quantity of green space provided health benefits. The study results suggest we all may need a minimum dose of nature: 30 minutes in at least one visit a week is ideal.
The research team surveyed 1,538 people ages 18-70 who reside in Brisbane, Australia, a city where baseline exposure to nature is likely to be high because there are about 2,000 square feet of green space per person and 36 percent tree cover. They recruited an equal mix of males and females who matched the sociodemographic makeup of the city. Information about depression, high blood pressure, social cohesion, and frequency of physical activity — four health issues known to improve with time spent in nature — was collected from the participants.
The researchers believe these health outcomes could be tied to exposure to nature in more than one way. For example, a landscape full of plants may be linked to better physical, mental, and social well-being because it reduces stress and mental fatigue and because it makes a nice place for gathering with friends or getting exercise. Participants were asked how often they visited green spaces, how vegetated those areas were, and how long they spent during these visits.
The study showed that participants who spent at least 30 minutes in nature per visit over the course of one week were less likely to be depressed or have high blood pressure and more likely to be physically active. Making more frequent visits to nature was linked to increased social cohesion, and participants who said they felt more connected to nature had greater levels of social cohesion and physical activity, even if they were not less likely to feel depressed or experience high blood pressure.
Residents who failed to spend an average of 30 minutes or more within a visit to a green space during the course of their week were 7 percent more likely to show signs of depression and 9 percent more likely to have high blood pressure.
In a statement, University of Queensland researcher Dr. Danielle Shanahan said these results suggest people might need a minimum "dose of nature.”
"If everyone visited their local parks for half an hour each week there would be seven percent fewer cases of depression and nine percent fewer cases of high blood pressure," she said.
"Given that the societal costs of depression alone in Australia are estimated at $A12.6 billion [$9.5 billion] a year, savings to public health budgets across all health outcomes could be immense," she said.
Absolutely true as documented in the book Drunk Tank Pink. And all the more reason to fight agenda 21 stack and pack policy.
What are the benefits of > 4hr / day?
Yeah, but 3 seconds of Hitlery cackling and screeching brings it all back, and then some.
I do cynically wonder if the two ideas can be "harmonized": the more we pack, the more room for parks!
Another reason why those of us in flyover country are mentally more healthy than those stacked in mega-cities.
Do you think mowing my grass for an hour every 4-5 days counts as nature time?
So humans living like termites in a mound isn’t all that healthy-duh!
That must be one reason my family has preferred mostly to live in rural areas-the more remote, the better-for over 200 years. I prefer it even when times are really hard-like now, in this economy-at least here I can grow food, barter for fresh free range eggs and meat, cut firewood, etc-and if the world goes boom, I’m pretty sure a major city would be an even less healthy place-and maybe not easy to get out of in a hurry...
Only if you are wearing your gun 4ange hearing protection.
“the more room for parks!”
Great idea-but it won’t do people any good unless they go to the parks-and they won’t unless they don’t get robbed, raped or murdered by feral humans while trying to enjoy nature...
Those parks will be rewilding centers. Filled with apex predators. Off limits to most humans. Much like a giant version of those drive thru wildlife places.
Rather than going to the park etc, I have found that simply working in the garden/yard for an hour or two is very cathartic.
Even if I haven’t really done that much, I am in a better mood and can unwind more thoroughly.
I am chomping at the bit to get out on the lake. I bought my dad’s bass boat this year and would love to escape.
However, life has other plans. (Just my story) I can’t get to the lake because my wife is dealing with cancer and needs my help.
I bet that there are a lot of good people in my situation. Healthcare is expensive and dealing with life and death everyday is taxing. What ever time is left is spent ‘catching up’ with daily household chores and bills.
Maybe you can find someone to stay with her? A friend?
Or take her with you!
You are right.
We went from weeks to months and hoping for years. Half way through chemo and prognosis looks much better.
I can now look outside for help. Had to make sure wife was alright.
Hence.... Mountainbiking was invented....
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