Understanding health patterns in coastal communities across the UK: a systematic review of quantitative observational studies

Background: Poor health in coastal communities is a growing public health concern in the

UK; however, existing evidence remains contradictory. We aimed to synthesise the evidence

on the association between coastal living and health in the UK.

Methods: We searched Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline databases for studies from 1970

to June 2024. We analysed data using narrative synthesis. Results: 18 studies were included.

Some evidence suggests that coastal living was positively and weakly associated with self-rated

health, mental health, and self-reported physical activity.

Results were conflicting for the measures of non-communicable disease occurrence. Some

reported a positive association between living near the coast and risk of prostate cancer and

prevalence of antidepressant medication prescription, whereas others observed a negative

association with prevalence of certain long-term conditions.

Conclusions: The contradictory findings may be due to the variation across the studies in how

both coastal living and health were defined and operationalised. The concept of ‘coastal living’

lacks a clear and consistent approach in existing evidence, which complicates our

understanding of its association with health patterns. To assess and monitor the health of coastal

communities, future studies must conceptualise and operationalise ‘coastal living’ in a more

meaningful way.