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Researchers(1) from the University of Glasgow have found that the health gap between the rich and poor is much lower in areas with the greenest(2) environments.

The findings are published in this week’s Social Determinants(3) of Health Special Issue(4) of The Lancet(5). The research was led by Dr Richard Mitchell from the University’s Department of Public Health(6) and Health Policy(7).

Studies have shown that exposure to(8) ‘green space’ - such as parks, forests and playing fields(9) - has an independent(10) beneficial effect(11) on health and health-related(12) behaviours(13). The authors proposed that income-related inequality(14) in health would be lower in populations with greater exposure to green space, since access to(15) such areas can affect the pathways(16) through which low socioeconomic(17) position can lead to disease.

Dr Mitchell said: “Green spaces can provide what is called(18) ‘restoration(19)’ for people. We know that undertaking(20) activities in these areas can reduce blood pressure(21) and tackle(22) some of the harmful(23) ways our bodies respond to(24) stress”.

“It is shown that people who take part in(25) these sorts of(26) activities in green spaces are generally healthier that those who don’t have the opportunity to do so.”

The researchers assessed(27) the population of England who were younger than retirement age(28), almost 41 million, and obtained individual mortality(29) records for 366,348 people to establish whether the association between(30) income deprivation(31), and death rates from all-causes(32), and from circulatory disease(33), lung cancer(34), and intentional(35) self-harm(36), varied according to(37) exposure to green space. Their study covered deaths in the period 2001-2005.