2017 - 2021 | FWO
Living in green areas is associated with better self-perceived health and lower cardiovascular risk. This may be due to low air pollution and noise levels, high opportunities for physical activity, facilitation of social contacts, and/or promotion of recovery from fatigue and stress. Yet, socio-economic (SE) factors also explain inequalities in both health and access to green spaces. In addition, there is some indication of associations between blue spaces(water) and health, but these have barely been investigated. This project proposes to evaluate the associations between living and working in/close to green/blue spaces and health and mortality in Belgium. This project benefits from already established datasets available on a nationwide scale. The proposal will provide an assessment of all-cause mortality, but will also focus on selected relevant causes of death, as well as on self-assessed health, intending to follow a holistic approach of health.
