Healthy ageing may be more reliant on environmental factors than previously thought, with access to greenery and fresh air becoming more important to maintain a healthy lifestyle as you grow older.
A new study led by Dr Alison Carver at the National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA) is seeking to understand how the environment we embed ourselves in has an effect on people living healthier lives.
Using the cutting-edge Healthy Ageing Data Platform – a curated set of Electronic Health Record data from over 170,000 individuals (aged 60 years and over) living in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region – we have linked neighbourhood-level data on greenery, air pollution and walkability with age related health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
“The Platform is an excellent resource for examining health outcomes due to the linkage of data from diverse parts of the health service (for example, hospital admissions, Emergency Department, Outpatients),” says Dr Carver.
“It is fundamental in helping us understand and promote healthy ageing in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region, and beyond.”
Analysis of this data has painted a picture of key environmental factors linked to self-reported cardiometabolic disease among mid to older aged adults in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region.
“Walkable neighbourhoods were associated with a lower prevalence of diabetes, if air pollution levels were lower, suggesting that while walking is good for our health, it is better for us if we are in an area with less traffic and lower vehicle emissions.”
“We are still in the process of analysing the environmental data in relation to hospital admissions and emergency presentations,” outlines Dr Carver.
“However, our preliminary findings suggest that greenery appears beneficial for cardiometabolic health, while air pollution is adversely associated.”
To gain a further understanding, the research team has begun doing in-depth multilevel modelling, at individual and neighbourhood levels, as well as a longitudinal analysis to detect any changes that might occur over a period of time.
“There is also an opportunity to add additional sets of environmental data relating to tree canopy,” shares Dr Carver.
“There is some research from other parts of Australia suggesting that tree canopy is more important for our health than overall greenery levels. Similarly, we are also planning to look at heatwave data because of its health impacts on older adults.”
The future impact of climate change on older people and their health is also being discussed as it not only directly impacts older people’s longevity but also healthy ageing.
“There’ll be opportunity to better understand and predict the health-related impacts of environmental exposures on older adults related to climate change in particular,” explains Dr Carver.
“These climate exposures can include air pollution events as a result of a bushfire, and also the impacts of heatwaves. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to these types of events, so there is a real opportunity to better understand the impacts of climate change on our health.”
It is hoped that potential research findings will build the understanding of preventive medical approaches to ageing.
“For example, through the design of walkable neighbourhoods with clean air, greenery and parks that support ageing in place, as well as developing opportunities to better respond to climate-related events,” says Dr Carver.
By building neighbourhoods that promote ageing in place, older people can stay independent in the familiar places where they live, while growing connections to local neighbourhoods and communities.
“With the increased stress on healthcare systems and residential aged care, we need more people to age in place,” says Dr Carver.
“If we can provide settings where older people can live healthy lifestyles, we will help to reduce the impacts and strain on health systems as people age.”
“I hope that this research will influence urban design and policy to create neighbourhoods where people can live healthy lives while ageing in place,” adds Dr Carver.