Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)
September 26, 2016
There is growing evidence that green spaces such as parks, greenways, and gardens around homes, schools, and workplaces have mental and physical health benefits. These green spaces provide a peaceful place to play, relax, study, or exercise, as well as a social gathering place for friends and community; they also can contribute to improved air quality and reduction of harmful greenhouse gases. Recent studies have shown that higher levels of green vegetation are associated with decreased mortality and that neighborhood greenery decreases aggressive behavior in adolescents. This webinar features discussion about this latest research and what it means for environmental public health.
Presentations
- Natural Environments and Health: The Relationship Between Greenness and Mortality (3MB) – Francine Laden, Sc.D.
- Urban Green Space, Disparities, and Health (2MB) – Jill Johnston, Ph.D.
Experts
Francine Laden, Sc.D., is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her work on the environmental risk factors of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, has contributed key findings to the field of environmental epidemiology. She has led the development of methods to explore and incorporate long-term environmental exposures into large existing epidemiologic cohorts, and she recently co-authored an article titled, “Exposure to Greenness and Mortality in a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study of Women,” which was published in the September 2016 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
Jill Johnston, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California, and she also directs the Community Outreach and Engagement Core of the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center. She works to develop community-academic partnerships to advance environmental health and justice in disadvantaged urban and rural neighborhoods, and her research combines community engagement with exposure assessment and epidemiology to address environmental health concerns. In particular, she is interested in assessing exposure pathways to pollutants as a result of industrial activities.
For More Information
James P, Hart JE, Banay RF, Laden F. 2016. Exposure to greenness and mortality in a nationwide prospective cohort study of women. Environ Health Perspect 124(9):1344-1352. Full Text
Younan D, Tuvblad C, Li L, Wu J, Lurmann F, Franklin M, et al. 2016. Environmental determinants of aggression in adolescents: role of urban neighborhood greenspace. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 55(7):591-601. Abstract
We want your feedback!
Send comments, questions, and suggestions for future webinar topics to peph@niehs.nih.gov.
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