Time outdoors and residential greenness are associated with reduced systemic inflammation and allostatic load

Contacts with nature are linked with reduced morbidity and mortality. Hypothesized pathways include relaxation, physical activity, and improved immune function. This cross-sectional study of 320 adults in central North Carolina assessed health benefits of residential greenness using allostatic load (AL) and systemic inflammation (INFL) indices, composite biomarker-based measures of physiological dysregulation and inflammation, respectively. Distance-to-residence weighted tree cover and vegetated land cover measures were estimated within 500 m of each residence; 37 biomarkers of immune, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and metabolic functions were dichotomized at distribution or health-based cut-offs. AL was calculated as a sum of potentially unhealthy values of all biomarkers; INFL was based on a subset of 18 immune biomarkers. Regression analysis used generalized additive models for Poisson-distributed outcome. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in tree cover was associated with 0.89 (95 % Confidence Limits 0.82; 0.97) and 0.90 (0.79; 1.03)-fold change in AL and INFL, respectively. Greater daily outdoor time was associated with reduced AL and INFL, while leisure screen time, problems with sleeping, and common chronic infections were linked with increased AL and INFL. Among 138 individuals spending more than 1 h outdoors daily, an IQR increase in tree cover was associated with 0.76 (0.67; 0.86) and 0.81 (0.65; 1.02)-fold changes in AL and INFL, respectively. Among individuals with residential tree cover above the 50th percentile, spending more than 3 h outdoors daily was associated with 0.54 (0.37; 0.78) and 0.28 (0.15; 0.54)-fold changes in AL and INFL, respectively, compared to spending less than 30 min outdoors; there were no significant effects in the low tree cover stratum. Consistent but weaker effects were observed for vegetated land cover. Interaction effects of tree and vegetative cover and time spent outdoors on AL and INFL were statistically significant. This biomarker-based approach can help to assess public health benefits of green spaces.