Exposure to Greenness and Mortality in… | Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives

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

Higher levels of green vegetation were associated with decreased mortality. While planting vegetation may mitigate effects of climate change, evidence of an association between vegetation and lower mortality rates suggests it also might be used to improve health.

James, P; et al

Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(9), Sept. 2016

Women living in the highest quintile of cumulative average greenness in the250m area around their home had a 12% lower rate of all-cause non-accidental mortality compared to those in the lowest quintile. These associations were strongest for respiratory and cancer mortality.