Research project Exposure and access to green environments with citizens in focus

Research increasingly show that contact with and access to green and blue environments is important for various aspects of health. Importantly however, high-quality environmental health studies of the home and work context, and in population-based cohorts, are yet lacking and are greatly needed to inform and integrate urban development, environmental and health policies.

The purpose of the project is to develop a large scale environmental database for population-based studies on environmental health, in the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, and complimentary study designs and samples, in order to investigate and increase knowledge about the importance of exposure to and access to different types and qualities of green structure, that is green environments (vegetation) and blue environments (open watercourses, such as lake and sea environments) and urban / building structure in individuals' living environments (including home and work), for various aspects of mental health and behaviour.