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Want to live longer?
It’s as simple as living on a tree-lined street or near
a park, according to a recent study of over 3,000 people in
Tokyo.
Participants, who
were born between 1903 and 1918, were surveyed twice, once
in 1992 and again in 1997. Some 29 percent of those surveyed
died during the study, which left 2,211 participants. Although
women were more likely to survive than men, both men and women
were more likely to survive when they lived near trees and
grassy walking areas. The association remained even when other
factors that may influence longevity, such as age, gender
and marital and socioeconomic status, were removed.
Researchers speculate
that seniors who live near these types of areas are more likely
take walks outside, which may contribute to an increased physical
state.
Additionally, women
were more likely to survive when they had social relationships
with neighbors. Men were less likely to survive when they
lived in noisy areas crowded with factories. Moreover, the
longer the sun filled a home, the longer men tended to live.
Women did not seem to be influenced by this, however.
Researchers recommend
that urban planners and others involved in city planning take
the effects of nature into account when building residences.
Journal
of Epidemiology and Community Health December 2002;56:913-918
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