Spending more time in nature may be a prescription for better health: study
People living in urban areas who visit “green spaces” more frequently are less likely to use anti-anxiety medications and other prescription drugs, results of a recent study out of Finland show.
Researchers used survey data from more than 7,300 people in three Finnish cities (Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa). They also looked at the amount of green spaces, such as parks, and water within a 0.6-mile radius of the respondents’ homes.
Findings show that the respondents who visited green spaces most frequently used psychotropic (antidepressants or anti-anxiety), blood pressure or asthma medications less often.
The study was published online in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
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