Countries could use green space to help to reduce socio-economic inequalities.
Photo / 123RF
Countries could use green space to help to reduce socio-economic inequalities.
Photo / 123RF
Living near a good park drastically reduces the wellbeing gap between rich and poor, research shows.
The mental health gulf that divides those in wealth and poverty is 40 per cent narrower for people reporting good access to green space, according to a study from Glasgow and Edinburgh universities publishedthis week.
Analysing responses from 21,294 urban residents in 34 European nations, academics at the Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health found compelling evidence that open spaces helped to level health inequality.
Using the European Quality of Life Survey, researchers charted mental wellbeing and economic status against how easy it was for respondents to access five different neighbourhood facilities or services. These included public transport and postal, banking and cultural services.
But it was only access to green or recreational space which had a link to narrower inequalities in wellbeing, according to the paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The project led researchers to conclude that countries could use green space to help to reduce socio-economic inequalities.
The study leader, Professor Rich Mitchell of the University of Glasgow, said: "Research should explore whether these environments can help stop the wealth gap becoming a health gap."
