Women Surrounded By Plants May Live Longer

Women who live in houses that are surrounded by greener plants can enjoy longer lifespans, says a new study by experts from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital. They showed the link between women in homes with more vegetation to reduced overall mortality rates.

Hence, women who lived in the greenest surroundings showed a 12 percent lower overall mortality rate than others living in areas with less vegetation.

"We were surprised to observe such strong associations between increased exposure to greenness and lower mortality rates," said Peter James, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology, who co-authored the study. "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."

Greenery in their surroundings could lead to improved mental health and less depression. It also offers better opportunities for social and physical engagement and less air pollution.

The study used information provided by 108,630 women in the Nurses' Health Study across the U.S. from 2000 to 2008. By looking at satellite images to understand the level of vegetation around homes, scientists also pinpointed other mortality risk factors such as age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and lifestyle habits.

The documents showed that the link between more vegetation and low mortality rates among women who suffered from respiratory disease and cancer. Women in places with more vegetation had a 34 percent lower rate of respiratory-disease related mortality and a 13 percent lower rate of cancer-related mortality compared to others who did not live in green environments.

"We know that planting vegetation can help the environment by reducing wastewater loads, sequestering carbon, and mitigating the effects of climate change," James concluded. "Our new findings suggest a potential co-benefit - improving health - that presents planners, landscape architects and policy makers with an actionable tool to grow healthier places."

The findings were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.