Nature and Death

There is an increasing amount of research demonstrating the biophilic linkages between green space and the conditions and behaviors that affect our physical and mental health and well-being. Somewhat rare among this research are epidemiological studies that link green space to mortality. This exploratory study drew a sample of death certificates (n=143,725) from 2000-2012 in the state of Florida and then employed GIS to determine if green space proximity to one’s residential location at time of death was predictive of all-cause premature mortality. The regression results reveal that the distance to the nearest green space from home was a significant predictor of Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) for both males and females; for every one mile of increased distance from the closest green space, the average change in the mean of the YPLL is 10.6 days for males and 17.2 days for females. In addition to distance to the nearest green space, the amount of green space within defined distances to home was also tested and was found to be a significant predictor of increased YPLL in females. A Gettis-Ord Gi* statistic was calculated independently for both male and female YPLL to assist in identifying regional differences in YPLL. A number of suggestions for future research are provided that can refine this exploratory line of research.