Being around trees is proven to enhance health, from lowering stress to increasing longevity.
“The prevailing thought among urban planners and health professionals has been that if we plant trees, everyone’s health will get better,” says Amber Pearson, professor in the public health department in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
“Our study found that the benefits of trees aren’t equally experienced.”
Published in the Lancet Regional Health–Americas, the study examined the relationship between residential tree canopy and allostatic load—the cumulative “wear and tear” on the body caused by chronic stress.
Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data related to 40,307 adults matched with satellite maps of tree cover, Pearson’s team analyzed data for every census block in the country. And they found that while higher tree canopy is generally associated with lower allostatic load, that was not the case for the most vulnerable groups.
“Surprisingly, there is an association between trees and better health for those who have a higher income and education and are employed, but there is no association for less-advantaged people,” Pearson says.
“The findings were consistent for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic subpopulations, but not for non-Hispanic Black participants.”
The study notes that 24% of non-Hispanic Black participants lived in high-canopy neighborhoods, yet they did not show the same reduction in allostatic load seen in white and Hispanic groups. Pearson suggests for some minority groups, other environmental or social stressors—like discrimination—may override the calming effects of nature.
“There are other things that may be more stressful in disadvantaged groups like unfair treatment, lack of good job opportunities, or poor neighborhood conditions that tree canopy is not going to overcome,” Pearson explains.
The findings suggest that while urban greening is a vital public health tool, it must be paired with efforts to address the root causes of social and economic inequality for the most vulnerable groups to reap its benefits.
Source: Michigan State University
—
This post was previously published on FUTURITY.ORG and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
—
At The Good Men Project, we are glad to syndicate work from Futurity, a publication dedicated to making research and science news accessible to the public. We value Futurity because it takes serious work from universities and researchers around the world and translates it into clear, readable stories that help people understand what is changing in science, health, technology, behavior, and public life.
That matters to us for more than one reason. We believe good information is part of how people live well in a rapidly changing world. Research can sometimes feel distant, technical, or intimidating, but it often speaks directly to the questions people are already living with: how relationships work, how stress affects behavior, how health is shaped, how communities change, and how new discoveries may alter daily life in the years ahead. Futurity helps close that gap. It also plays an important role in making evidence-based knowledge more accessible at a time when misinformation, cynicism, and distrust of expertise can make it harder for people to know what to believe. That is one reason we are glad to share this work with our readers.
FAQs – About The Good Men Project
What is The Good Men Project?
The Good Men Project is a mission-driven media platform founded in 2010 that explores modern masculinity, men’s mental health, relationships, fatherhood, identity, and social change through personal stories, expert insights, and cultural analysis.
What is The Good Men Project’s mission?
Our mission is to expand the conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century — in ways that are inclusive, emotionally honest, and grounded in real human experience.
How does GMP approach content about science and technology?
We examine science and technology through their impact on human lives. From AI and automation to social media and climate science, GMP explores how rapid technological change affects identity, work, relationships, mental health, civic responsibility and the future we all are inheriting and civic responsibility. We partner with other trusted sources, and believe in science and research to inform good decisions in a rapidly changing world.
—
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
The Good Men Project is a mission-driven media platform founded in 2010 that helps writers, brands, agencies, and organizations build credibility, audience, and long-term authority. By publishing stories about masculinity, mental health, relationships, fatherhood, identity, and personal development, GMP provides a trusted ecosystem where ideas gain visibility, trust, and resilience in both search and AI-driven discovery. The platform supports individual contributors as well as high-volume agencies through paid guest posts, sponsored content, and bulk publishing systems designed for scale.
—
Photo credit: iStock.com
