PULLMAN, Wash — Washington State University (WSU) released a study claiming older people living near nature have better mental and physical health.
The study showed people who live near nature like forests and rivers had reduced psychological distress, leading to fewer mental health problems. The study surveyed more than 42,000 people older than 65 between 2011 and 2019.
“Our findings suggest that loss of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well,” said first study author Adithya Vegaraju, a medical student in the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
The report studied the connection between older people's access to nature within their residential zip codes. Researchers claim that being 10% closer to forest space was connected to lower serious psychological distress. WSU said one solution could include nature prescriptions, a new trend where healthcare providers recommend patients spend more time outdoors.
“It is thought that exposure to green and blue spaces could help slow cognitive decline,” said Senior study author Solmaz Amiri, a research assistant professor in the WSU College of Medicine. “What we would like to know is if green and blue space exposure can influence dementia directly or whether it can do so by reducing mental health issues that may lead to cognitive decline.”
Researchers of his study are working to expand it further to study the possible link between exposure to nature and cognitive decline, which can lead to conditions like Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
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