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reference : Morbidity is related to a green living environment

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Morbidity is related to a green living environment
Bibliographic fields
reftype Journal Article
Abstract Background: As a result of increasing urbanisation, people face the prospect of living in environments with few green spaces. There is increasing evidence for a positive relation between green space in people’s living environment and self-reported indicators of physical and mental health. This study investigates whether physician-assessed morbidity is also related to green space in people’s living environment.Methods: Morbidity data were derived from electronic medical records of 195 general practitioners in 96 Dutch practices, serving a population of 345 143 people. Morbidity was classified by the general practitioners according to the International Classification of Primary Care. The percentage of green space within a 1 km and 3 km radius around the postal code coordinates was derived from an existing database and was calculated for each household. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.Results: The annual prevalence rate of 15 of the 24 disease clusters was lower in living environments with more green space in a 1 km radius. The relation was strongest for anxiety disorder and depression. The relation was stronger for children and people with a lower socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the relation was strongest in slightly urban areas and not apparent in very strongly urban areas.Conclusion: This study indicates that the previously established relation between green space and a number of self-reported general indicators of physical and mental health can also be found for clusters of specific physician-assessed morbidity. The study stresses the importance of green space close to home for children and lower socioeconomic groups.
Author Maas, J Verheij, R A de Vries, S Spreeuwenberg, P Schellevis, F G Groenewegen, P P
DOI 10.1136/jech.2008.079038
Date December 1, 2009
ISSN 1470-2738
Issue 12
Journal Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
Pages 967-973
Title Morbidity is related to a green living environment
URL http://jech.bmj.com/content/63/12/967.full.pdf+html
Volume 63
Year 2009
Bibliographic identifiers
.reference_type 0
_chapter ["Ch. 9: Human Health FINAL"]
_record_number 4683
_uuid 9a69ae47-55b2-4c2b-84f9-04e12bef4820