Living by the Ocean Linked to Longer Lives—But the Reason Remains a Mystery

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00:00Living by the ocean linked to longer lives, but the reason remains a mystery.

00:05If you enjoy learning about history, especially the Georgian and Victorian eras, you would

00:10have heard about doctors prescribing sea air to their patients.

00:14Recent research has linked longevity to living near the ocean, although no one can really

00:19explain why.

00:20Ohio State University researchers examined lifespan effects, analyzing over 66,000 people's

00:26proximity to water.

00:28Surprisingly, ocean-near residents lived longer, while urban inland dwellers averaged shorter

00:33lifespans.

00:35However, rural residents near inland water fared better than their urban counterparts.

00:40Overall, the coastal residents were expected to live a year or more longer than the 79-year

00:45average, and those who lived in more urban areas near inland rivers and lakes were likely

00:50to die by about 78 or so, says environmental health scientist and author Jeon Yong-woo in

00:56a press release.

01:01The study, published in Environmental Research, theorized that coastal residents have access

01:06to lifestyle perks unavailable inland, like recreation, drought resistance, transport options, mild temperatures,

01:13and better air.

01:14They also tended to have higher incomes, since oceanside homes are often more expensive.

01:20On the other side, pollution, poverty, lack of safe opportunities to be physically active,

01:25and an increased risk of flooding are likely drivers of these differences, said Yanni Cao,

01:30a postdoctoral researcher and co-author.

01:32Similarly, a 2023 study examined coastal proximity and health reports from people across Europe

01:40and Australia.

01:41The research confirmed the correlation between better health and living near the coast or

01:45visiting it often.

01:47However, this association was weaker among individuals from low-income households, though

01:52it still seemed to benefit them.

01:55Now, previous studies have established a connection between living near water and better health,

02:02such as this 2021 study.

02:05Blue spaces calm people, enhance moods, and reduce stress, promoting activities like swimming,

02:11thus lowering heart disease, depression, obesity, and hypertension risks.

02:15Further studies can investigate why the potential benefits of blue spaces in inland areas seem to

02:20be canceled out by urban living factors.