Does living by the coast improve health and wellbeing?

It is often assumed that spending time by the coast leads to better health and wellbeing, but there is
strikingly little evidence regarding specific effects or mechanisms to support such a view. We analysed
small-area census data for the population of England, which indicate that good health is more prevalent
the closer one lives to the coast. We also found that, consistent with similar analyses of greenspace
accessibility, the positive effects of coastal proximity may be greater amongst more socio-economically
deprived communities. We hypothesise that these effects may be due to opportunities for stress
reduction and increased physical activity.

The Effects of Physically Active Leisure on Stress-Health Relationships

In this article, the effects of physically active leisure on the relationships between stress and health are
examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The analyses are based on data from Canada’s 1994
National Population Health Survey (n = 17,626). Overall, physically active leisure was found to directly
contribute to higher levels of physical health and wellbeing, and lower levels of mental ill-health among
Canadians. When the respondents experienced higher levels of chronic stress, life event stress, and/or
work stress, involvement in physically active leisure appeared to help them maintain good health and
wellbeing. Also, higher levels of participation in physically active leisure helped paid workers suppress
levels of work stress. Agencies involved in health promotion and lifestyle intervention should give greater
consideration to physically active leisure. As a significant component of an active lifestyle, physically
active leisure can contribute to better health, and provide a valuable resource for coping with stress.

Factors Associated with the Maintenance of Good Self-Rated Health

Using data from the Ontario Longitudinal Study of Aging, the associations of remaining in good self-rated
health with various independent variables are examined. Indicators of an "advantaged" socioeconomic
status (e.g., relatively high levels of income and education), not smoking, and moderate alcohol use are
associated with remaining in good health. The strongest association is observed between a life
satisfaction index and remaining in good health, and different explanations are suggested for this finding.
Comparisons with the previously reported associations of these same independent variables with
mortality show different relationships for the two end points. For example, the associations of several
indicators of social relationships with maintaining good self-rated health are not significant, although a
strong relationship between social isolation and mortality has been reported. These differences can be
explained by assuming that the relationships with the maintenance of good self-rated health can be
affected by differential mortality rates.