Project Background:

The availability of green space has been linked to multiple health benefits, with recent studies in the USA and Europe suggesting a link between improved birth outcomes and residential exposure to green space.

Study Aims:

The aim of this SAHSU study is to explore the associations between green space and birth outcomes in London. The impact of potentially confounding variables, including maternal age, parity and air pollution, as well as area-level socio-economic deprivation and smoking will be explored.
The ONS dataset NN4B for 2006-2012, provides information on approximately 700,000 births per year across England. Outcomes of interest include: 1) birth weight; 2) gestational age at delivery; and 3) small for gestational age 4) preterm delivery, all leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity, and associated with increased morbidity in later life. Maternal address at delivery will be linked to relevant measures of green space exposure/access using LiDAR data on ground cover vegetation and trees for Greater London and OS MaterMap.

Health Data:

ONS NN4B

Benefit to Public:

The outputs of this research will inform our growing understanding of the impact of the natural environment on human health. Peer-reviewed publications and academic presentations at relevant conferences will be the main planned outputs.