Analyzed the health effects of green media

2020/04/27 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia
• Ingurumena
• Osasuna

The INMA project has investigated the benefit of natural means in the health of children. In fact, numerous research has been done to analyze environmental variables with harmful health effects, but not the other way around. To cover this lack, a group of researchers conducted an epidemiological study on the incidence of green media: Researchers from Biodonostia, the faculties of Patronage and Nursing and Psychology of the UPV, the Subdirectorate of Public Health and Addictions of the Basque Government of Gipuzkoa and the Carlos III Health Institute.

The research has used the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), collecting objective and subjective data: the degree of greenness in the participant's housing environment, the existence or not of green areas around 300 meters and the distance to which it is closest, as well as the subjective perception exposed in the surveys.

In addition, it has been classified whether green areas affect both health and through intermediaries: environmental exposure (carbon dioxide absorption, regulation of the absence of traffic, temperature and humidity), physical activity, social cohesion and stress relief and recovery of care. Health is measured in six areas: reproductive health, physical activity, mental health, asthma and allergy, cardiovascular effects and mortality.

Finally, 17 research findings have been taken into account and have found that green media influence health through intermediaries, either because they exert some harmful effect, but also because they increase some benefit.

It has been concluded that one of the most important intermediaries is the capacity of restoration: man's relationship with nature in evolution improves many of human mechanisms and both physical and mental benefits. However, the most cited intermediaries are physical activity and air pollution, with a second level of noise, human cohesion and depression.

The researchers point out that although the results are significant, we must continue to investigate. The results have been published in the journal Ekaia and have made an explanatory video of the influence of green environments aimed at education.