Study Reveals Women Who Stay Amidst Greenness Live Longer

According to a study by Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital - women who surround themselves with nature have a significantly lower mortality rate than women who don’t live among greenery.

The study revealed that women who lived amidst greenery had 12 per cent lower mortality rate than those living without greenery.

The study was done with more than one lakh women across the United States and it revealed that women who lived with greenery surrounding them had 12 per cent lower mortality rate than those living without. The study also found that the women who surround themselves with nature and spend time in it also have a 13 per cent lower rate of cancer deaths and 34 per cent lower rate of respiratory-related deaths. The study was published in  'Environmental Health Perspectives', used data from women across the United States from 2000 to 2008, revealed that mental health improved remarkably for these women immersed in nature.

Researchers have suggested that women should definitely surround themselves with greenery and if they live in cities - they should plant trees, or have a small garden for themselves.

Even though the study was done only on American women, it can be held true for most women in the world. Surrounding yourself with nature can have many mental and physical benefits for women. If you also do gardening around your house, this can have a positive impact on you and your family. These steps also help reduce the effects of climate change - so researchers have suggested that women should definitely surround themselves with more greenery and if they live in cities - they should plant trees, or have a small garden for themselves.

One of the researchers on the study, Peter James from Harvard Chan School of Epidemiology, said in an interview, "We were surprised to observe such strong associations between increased exposure to greenness and lower mortality rates," He added, “We were even more surprised to find evidence that a large proportion of the benefit from high levels of vegetation seems to be connected with improved mental health.”

The study may have been only on one section of the women in the world, but it is no denying that surrounding yourself in nature is definitely a good thing for you and your health. Looks like it is time to get a balcony garden, after all?

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Source: Exposure to Greenness and Mortality in a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Women

Pic credits: iStock

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