Living near parks improves people's health 'regardless of social class' » Housing » 24dash.com

Living near parks and forests improves people's health regardless of their social class, a new study suggests today.

Researchers say that the health gap between rich and poor is significantly reduced in areas with lots of green spaces.

The findings by scientists at the University of Glasgow is linked to people's use of the recreational areas.

Using parks and playing fields for walks and other activities lowers blood pressure and reduces the harmful effects of stress, according to Dr Richard Mitchell.

The expert, based at the university's department of Public Health and Health Policy, said: "Not everyone has equal access to green spaces, but when people do have access they tend to use them, regardless of what part of the social spectrum they are from.

"This has a direct impact on their health.

"Obviously, resources must still be ploughed into trying to narrow the inequality gap between rich and poor, and with that will come advances in the population's general health.

"However, we would encourage the Government to consider carefully what their policy on green spaces is and to bear this research in mind when planning urban areas for the future."

Researchers obtained mortality records for 366,348 people in England from 2001-2005 to study the link between different causes of death and exposure to green spaces.

They found that in the greenest areas the health gap between the richest and poorest people was about half as big as that in the least green areas.

A report published in this week's issue of The Lancet concludes: "The implications of this study are clear: environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities."