According to the study, people who live near the coast tend to be healthier than those who set up a home further inland.
Scientists analysed data from the 2001 census and compared how healthy respondents said they were living closer to the sea, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
Researchers looked at the proportion of people who reported their health as being 'good', rather than 'fairly good' or 'not good' and then compared this with how close those respondents lived to the coastline.
The analysis also showed that the link between living near the coast and good health was strongest in the most economically deprived communities.
"We know that people usually have a good time when they go to the beach, but there is strikingly little evidence of how spending time at the coast can affect health and well-being," said the study lead author Dr Ben Wheeler.
"By analysing data for the whole population, our research suggests that there is a positive effect, although this type of study cannot prove cause and effect," Wheeler said.
Researchers from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health
