When assuming the relative risk of depression in the areas with the least urban forest as 1, the average risk of depression in people living in the most forested city was 0.813, which is 18.7 percent lower. (image: Jeju Provincial Government)
DAEJEON, Mar. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — People living in cities with vast urban forests are 18.7 percent less likely to suffer from depression than those living in a cities with fewer green spaces.
According to the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) on Wednesday, Prof. Lee Jong-tae of Korea University evaluated 651,128 adults living in seven metropolitan cities for the link between urban forest and depression symptoms.
The study was based on 2009 national health survey data and it confirmed that urban forests can help relieve depression.
The study evaluated the forest cover in each city by calculating the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) through satellite imagery, and divided cities into four districts from the least forested to the most.
The study also adjusted the effects of other sectors that could have an impact on depression, such as gender, education level, occupation, income level, marital status, health behaviors and the local economic environment. CES-D questions were then used to assess depression.
Total scores exceeding 16 were considered to be indicative of symptoms of depression and examined further.
As a result, when assuming the relative risk of depression in the areas with the least urban forest as 1, the average risk of depression in people living in the most forested city was 0.813, which is 18.7 percent lower.
While the results were published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the results from a statistical analysis on the mental health promotion effects of urban forests, which reduces the damage caused by fine dust and heat waves, suggests hope for the positive effect on mental health just by staying in urban forests.
“This research is scientific proof that urban forests not only function as an environmental improvement system for fine dust and heat waves, but also function to foster people’s mental health,” said Kwon Jin-oh, head of the Urban Forest Research Center.
“Urban forest encourages residents to exercise and bond with their neighbors, which will promote good mental health.”
“Urban forests can increase physical resistance to air pollution by improving the health of residents, and can also reduce fine dust,” said professor Lee.
“Creating urban forests is important as one of the strategies for reducing and adapting to fine dust.”
“Not only are people threatened physically, but mental health is being constantly threatened due to continuing heavy fine dust regardless of the season,” an official from the NIFoS reported.
“As more research is being released that proves increasing fine dust affects mental health, the role of urban forests to reduce fine dust becomes increasingly important.”
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
