Cross-sectional associations of different types of nature exposure with psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication

Abstract

Background Exposure to natural environments is <br/>thought to be beneficial for human health, but the <br/>evidence is inconsistent.<br/>Objective To examine whether exposure to green and <br/>blue spaces in urban environments is associated with <br/>mental and physical health in Finland.<br/>Methods The Helsinki Capital Region Environmental <br/>Health Survey was conducted in 2015−2016 in Helsinki, <br/>Espoo and Vantaa in Finland (n=7321). Cross-sectional <br/>associations of the amounts of residential green and <br/>blue spaces within 1 km radius around the respondent’s <br/>home (based on the Urban Atlas 2012), green and <br/>blue views from home and green space visits with <br/>self-reported use of psychotropic (anxiolytics, hypnotics <br/>and antidepressants), antihypertensive and asthma <br/>medication were examined using logistic regression <br/>models. Indicators of health behaviour, traffic-related <br/>outdoor air pollution and noise and socioeconomic status <br/>(SES) were used as covariates, the last of these also as a <br/>potential effect modifier.<br/>Results Amounts of residential green and blue spaces <br/>or green and blue views from home were not associated <br/>with medications. However, the frequency of green <br/>space visits was associated with lower odds of using <br/>psychotropic medication (OR=0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.82 <br/>for 3–4 times/week; 0.78, 0.63 to 0.96 for ≥5 times/<br/>week) and antihypertensive (0.64, 0.52 to 0.78; 0.59, <br/>0.48 to 0.74, respectively) and asthma (0.74, 0.58 to <br/>0.94; 0.76, 0.59 to 0.99, respectively) medication use. <br/>The observed associations were attenuated by body mass <br/>index, but no consistent interactions with SES indicators <br/>were observed.<br/>Conclusions Frequent green space visits, but not the <br/>amounts of residential green or blue spaces, or green <br/>and blue views from home, were associated with less <br/>frequent use of psychotropic, antihypertensive and <br/>asthma medication in urban environments.