Urbanization, computers take their toll on Europeans’ health

GLASGOW, Scotland — Experts have expressed concern that urbanization and computers are taking their toll on the wellbeing of people in many parts of Europe.

Peter van den Hazel, European Public Health Association (EUPHA) president for the Section on Environment-Related Diseases in The Netherlands, said there are various studies linking “natural environment” to the mental and physical health of a person.

But despite this, he said many cities in Europe are losing their “green space” to urbanization, which requires the establishment of homes in the city. In most cases, houses are put up in open spaces where trees and other plants used to stand.

“Irrespective of the type of green space you are in, irrespective of the social class or activities, the outdoor environment has a positive impact on mental health,” he said during a pre-conference for the 7th European Public Health Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center here.

The four-day conference is themed “Mind the gap: Reducing inequalities in health and health care.” It was organized by the EPH Conference Foundation, which was established at the initiative of EUPHA.

Citing a study in the United Kingdom, Van den Hazel said that “mood and self-esteem improved as a result of taking part in outdoor activities.”

A study involving 345,000 Dutch citizens showed that they have “less health complaints in green neighborhoods.” Anxiety disorders and depression are also less common among them.

“The risk of depression is 1.33 times as high in neighborhoods with little green. Also high blood pressure, heart problems, back and neck problems, breathing problems, bowel disorders, migraine and dizziness are less common in green environments,” Van den Hazel said.

Catherine Ward Thompson, professor of landscape architecture at the Edinburgh College of Art at University of Edinburgh and director of OPENSpace Research Center, said in a presentation that “engagement in natural environment is very important” for children and the elderly.

She said that apart from being important “for healthy physical, mental, cognitive, emotional and social development, childhood play in natural settings appears to have a long-term and positive effect on attitudes, well being and behavior” later in life.

Older people, on the other hand, who live in an environment that makes it easy and enjoyable to go outdoors are more likely to be physically active, healthier and more satisfied with life.

Among older people it is also crucial to have contact with nature as it enhances their physical and mental wellbeing.

Van den Hazel said a study found that nature “moderates the effects of stressful life events” on children.

But many youths now prefer to stay at home, playing computers. They have lost interest in natural environment.

A study shows that children from greener neighborhoods play 10 times — or approximately 80 minutes more — outdoors than children from non-green neighborhoods.

Boys who play outdoors for two hours per day have about 23 percent lower chances of becoming obese than boys who play for only an hour.

“There is a generation that is losing the connection to nature and that is something that we really need to make people aware of…. That’s alarming and that probably has to do with social media, overuse of computer,” Van de Hazel noted.

He said many cities in Europe are “aware that they should make green spaces available for people, parks and playing ground…. but the problem sometimes is how to raise enough funds to do it. The ground is sometimes so expensive that project developers want to use their grounds to build houses and green parks do not provide any income.”

Public health is now a major concern among European countries.

For over four decades now, the European Union (EU) has been one of the major development partners of the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH).

EU’s financial support provided to the DOH’s Health Sector Reform Agenda or Universal Health Care strategy will reach P7.2 billion from 2006 to 2018.

EU has funded various projects, including maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition needs of indigenous cultural communities and other disadvantaged communities in Mindanao.