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Natural Health News — People who visit parks for 30 minutes or more each week are much less likely to have high blood pressure or poor mental health than those who don’t, according to new research by Australian and UK environmental scientists.
A study from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) suggests people might need a minimum “dose of nature.”
UQ CEED researcher Dr Danielle Shanahan said parks offered health benefits including reduced risks of developing heart disease, stress, anxiety and depression.
“If everyone visited their local parks for half an hour each week there would be 7% fewer cases of depression and 9% fewer cases of high blood pressure,” she said.
» An international research effort involving UK and Australian scientists has determined that each of us needs a ‘minimum dose’ of nature.
» According to the new study, if everyone visited their local park for just half an hour a week we’d see 7% fewer cases of depression and 9% fewer cases of high blood pressure.
“Given that the societal costs of depression alone in Australia are estimated at $A12.6 (£7.2)billion a year, savings to public health budgets across all health outcomes could be immense,” she said.
A dose of nature
UQ CEED researcher Associate Professor Richard Fuller said the research could transform the way people viewed urban parks.
“We’ve known for a long time that visiting parks is good for our health, but we are now beginning to establish exactly how much time we need to spend in parks to gain these benefits,” he said.
“We have specific evidence that we need regular visits of at least half an hour to ensure we get these benefits.”
Dr Shanahan said 40% cent of Brisbane residents did not visit an urban park in a typical week.
Get kids into the habit
So how can we encourage people to spend more time in green space? Shanahan suggests that like most good habits we need to start when we’re young.
“We need more support and encouragement of community activities in natural spaces.
“For example, the Nature Play programs in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia provide heaps of ideas for helping kids enjoy the great outdoors.
“Our children especially benefit from spending more time outdoors. Kids who grow up experiencing natural environments may benefit developmentally and have a heightened environmental awareness as adults than those who don’t.”
The research is published in Nature Scientific Reports.
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