Coastal proximity and visits are associated with better health but may not buffer health inequalities

Author(s)

Sandra J. Geiger, Mathew P. White, Sophie M. C. Davison, Lei Zhang, Oonagh McMeel, Paula Kellett, Lora E. Fleming

Abstract

Societies value the marine environment for its health-promoting potential. In this preregistered study, we used cross-sectional, secondary data from the Seas, Oceans, and Public Health In Europe (SOPHIE) and Australia (SOPHIA) surveys to investigate: (a) relationships of self-reported home coastal proximity and coastal visits with self-reported general health; (b) the potential of both to buffer income-related health inequalities; and (c) the generalizability of these propositions across 15 countries (n = 11,916–14,702). We find broad cross-country generalizability that living nearer to the coast and visiting it more often are associated with better self-reported general health. These results suggest that coastal access may be a viable and generalized route to promote public health across Europe and Australia. However, the relationships are not strongest among individuals with low household incomes, thereby challenging widespread assumptions of equigenesis that access to coastal environments can buffer income-related health inequalities.

Organisation(s)

Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub

External organisation(s)

University of Exeter, University of Birmingham, Seascape Belgium, European Marine Board

Journal

Communications Earth & Environment

Volume

4

ISSN

2662-4435

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00818-1

Publication date

05-2023

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

303007 Epidemiology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science(all), Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

Portal url

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/coastal-proximity-and-visits-are-associated-with-better-health-but-may-not-buffer-health-inequalities(9d57b78e-ed98-4ac7-80be-bc3cb2d24f64).html