Green space a benefit to the ageing brain - Study

A 10-year study of British public servants has shown those that live near a city park or in the country experience less mental decline as they age.

Living in the country or near an urban park can reduce the rate of age-related mental decline, a study from Spain's Barcelona Institute for Global Health has found.

The study found access to green space improved brain ageing in more than 60,000 British people who were monitored for 10 years, with women the most likely to benefit.

Scientists used satellite imagery to estimate the amount of neighbourhood green space for each participant in the study.

Our data show that the decline in the cognitive score after the 10 years follow-up was 4.6 per cent smaller in participants living in greener neighbourhoods, lead scientist Carmen de Keijzer said.

Interestingly enough, the observed associations were stronger among women, which makes us think that these relations might be modified by gender.

The study participants were enrolled into the Whitehall II study tracking the health progress of a large group of UK civil servants.

At three different time points, each participant was asked to complete a series of tests that assessed verbal and mathematical reasoning, verbal fluency and short-term memory.

The study built on evidence that the risk of dementia and mental decline can be affected by urban environmental hazards such as air pollution and noise, as well as stress and sedentary lifestyle.

Living near green spaces has been proposed to increase physical activity and social support, reduce stress, and mitigate exposure to air pollution and noise, de Keijzer said.

Recent evidence has shown cognitive benefits of green space exposure in children, but studies on the possible relations of exposure to green spaces and cognitive decline in older adults are still very scarce and often have inconsistent results.

The findings appear in the journal Environmental Health Perspective.