Health Benefits of Conservation

Fact sheet outlines the research showing that community gardens at schools can boost health and academic achievement.

The Children and Nature Network has a robust library of research about the mental and physical health benefits of nature.

Walking is the key to numerous health benefits that are life-changing. Benefits such as a healthy body weight, lower blood pressure, and even an improved mental outlook. But walking sounds so...pedestrian. So American Hiking Society encourages walkers and would-be-walkers to mix it up a little and go for a hike—even an urban hike.

Summary of the American Medical Association report that identifies the dangers of artificial light to humans.

People living in counties marked by sprawling development are more likely to walk less, weigh more, and suffer from high blood pressure than people who live in less sprawling counties. These results hold true after controlling for factors such as age, education, gender, and race and ethnicity. In addition to presenting research findings, this report summarizes recent research done by others on the links between the way we’ve built our communities, physical activity, and health,as well as present recommendations for change and resources for those interested in further exploration of this topic.

Because public parks contribute to health and well-being, primarily by serving as an important venue for physical activity, it is in the best interests of park administrators to have a method to measure this contribution. While parks offer health benefits beyond physical activity, physical activity can be objectively measured and is an excellent way to demonstrate the value of parks. Nearly 11 percent of all deaths and a significant proportion of chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among Americans are directly attributable to physical inactivity.

Urban design could be significantly associated with some forms of physical activity and some health outcomes. Although the magnitude of the effects observed in this study are small, they do provide added support for the hypothesis that urban form affects health and health-related behaviors. Furthermore, even a change can have important public health implications.

By choosing the path for smarter growth, in 2035, reductions in emissions could save California between $716 million and $1.66 billion in health costs from fewer pollution-related illnesses and deaths. There would be more than 132,000 tons of air pollution reduced and up to 140 premature deaths, 105,000 asthma attacks and other respiratory issues avoided.

Study found that primary schoolchildren who have been raised in homes surrounded by more green space tend to present with larger volumes of white and grey matter in certain areas of the brain. Those anatomic differences are, in turn, associated with beneficial effects on cognitive function.

This paper discusses how the structure of communities contributes to health. It is a resource for government and volunteer leaders in making the case that parks and open space are essential to the health and well-being of all Americans