If you’re keen to live as long a life as possible on the planet, there are a variety of strategies you can try: maintain your social ties, drink coffee, stay active, don’t smoke, get enough sleep, and eat nuts, fruit, and vegetables.
Now, according to new research, there’s another that might work: Live as close as you can to the coast.
Researchers from Ohio State University looked at census records for 66,263 people, analyzing the relationship between how long they lived for and where they lived in relation to bodies of water.
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This wasn’t a complete shot in the dark, because previous studies have found links between so-called blue spaces and positive health benefits. Here though, the team wanted to look specifically at lifespan.
What the data found was that living near the coast was associated with a longer life, but somewhat surprisingly, the same wasn’t true of living in urban areas with inland blue spaces, such as lakes or rivers. People in those areas actually tended to live shorter lives.
“Overall, the coastal residents were expected to live a year or more longer than the 79-year average, and those who lived in more urban areas near inland rivers and lakes were likely to die by about 78 or so,” says environmental health scientist Jianyong Wu from Ohio State University.
With so many factors affecting lifespan (as noted above), this study doesn’t show direct cause and effect, but it is a notable association that suggests a relationship of some kind. So what might be behind it?
The researchers suggest multiple factors. On the whole, coastal areas have fewer hot days and fewer cold days, better air quality, and more opportunities for recreation than urban areas near inland blue spaces. A sea-front property tends to cost more than most homes, too – so increased socioeconomic status is likely to be a key influence as well.
When it comes to living near inland waters, the scenarios can vary widely – though the team does make the distinction between rural and urban areas. Living near inland bodies of water in rural areas actually boosts life expectancy, though not as much as living near the coast.
“Pollution, poverty, lack of safe opportunities to be physically active and an increased risk of flooding are likely drivers of these differences,” says ecological geographer Yanni Cao from Ohio State University.
In other words, whatever health and lifespan benefits you might get from being near blue spaces appear to be canceled out by the disadvantages of town or city living – which is something that future studies could investigate further.
It’s more evidence that nature can be very good for us, boosting health in ways that may significantly increase life expectancy, but this is only one part of a bigger picture involving many different factors that all could contribute.
“We thought it was possible that any type of blue space would offer some beneficial effects, and we were surprised to find such a significant and clear difference between those who live near coastal waters and those who live near inland waters,” says Wu.
The research has been published in Environmental Research.
