The impact of children's exposure to greenspace on physical activity, cognitive development, emotional wellbeing, and ability to appraise risk

Ward, Jonathan S.; Duncan, Scott; Jarden, Aaron; Stewart, Tom

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.04.015

Cited by 166 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Greenspace exposure was also positively correlated with greater emotional well‐being (Ward et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Third, the literature relating to the importance of greenspace exposure in relation to physical health outcomes is inconclusive, although Ward et al . () note that research has generally shown that time spent in greenspaces positively correlates with children's physical activity. Macintyre et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Ward et al . () examined cognitive development, emotional well‐being, ability to appraise risk, and sensation‐seeking tendencies in relation to greenspace and how much moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) participants engaged in. Within the cohort of 118 participants aged 11–14 years, a positive correlation was found between greenspace exposure and MVPA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Third, the literature relating to the importance of greenspace exposure in relation to physical health outcomes is inconclusive, although Ward et al (2016) note that research has generally shown that time spent in greenspaces positively correlates with children's physical activity. Macintyre et al (2008) concluded that the inequitable distribution of greenspace in Scotland, which favoured areas of low social deprivation, may account for low physical activity rates in deprived areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing the relationship between greenspace and academic achievement in urban New Zealand primary schools

Beere

Kingham

2017

N Z Geog

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Greenspace can have a significant positive effect on improved concentration duration, behaviour in the classroom, and educational and social development for school‐aged children. This paper uses Geographical Information Systems to explore academic achievement and greenspace in New Zealand. Using multivariate linear regression, the association between greenspace exposure and the percentage of children achieving above academic attainment expectations was examined, controlling for gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status was the most significant predictor of academic achievement. Weak associations between greenspace, academic achievement, gender, and ethnicity were observed. Unexpectedly, academic achievement negatively correlated with greenspace.

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“…Greenspace exposure was also positively correlated with greater emotional well‐being (Ward et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Assessing the relationship between greenspace and academic achievement in urban New Zealand primary schools

Beere

Kingham

2017

N Z Geog

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“…We investigated a general population sample of middleaged and older men and women living in an urbanized area in Germany and hence our results cannot be generalized to populations from other countries, or children, young adults, and residents of very rural areas. While most previous studies on health effects of green environments have focused on adult populations, several studies support associations of greenness with different health indicators in children as well [58][59][60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Residential Surrounding Greenness, Self-Rated Health and Interrelations with Aspects of Neighborhood Environment and Social Relations

et al. 2017

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Previous research suggests that green environments positively influence health. Several underlying mechanisms have been discussed; one of them is facilitation of social interaction. Further, greener neighborhoods may appear more aesthetic, contributing to satisfaction and well-being. Aim of this study was to analyze the association of residential surrounding greenness with self-rated health, using data from 4480 women and men aged 45-75 years that participated in the German population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. We further aimed to explore the relationships of greenness and self-rated health with the neighborhood environment and social relations. Surrounding greenness was measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m around participants' residence. As a result, we found that with higher greenness, poor self-rated health decreased (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98; per 0.1 increase in NDVI), while neighborhood satisfaction (1.41, 1.23-1.61) and neighborhood social capital (1.22, 1.12-1.32) increased. Further, we observed inverse associations of neighborhood satisfaction (0.70, 0.52-0.94), perceived safety (0.36, 0.22-0.60), social satisfaction (0.43, 0.31-0.58), and neighborhood social capital (0.53, 0.44-0.64) with poor self-rated health. These results underline the importance of incorporating green elements into neighborhoods for health-promoting urban development strategies.

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Exposure to Residential Green Space and Bone Mineral Density in Young Children

Sleurs,

Silva,

Bijnens

et al. 2024

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceBone mass accrual is influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors. Targeted interventions at the early stages of life might decrease fracture and/or osteoporosis risk later in life.ObjectiveTo investigate whether early-life exposure to residential surrounding green space is associated with a change in bone mineral density in young children.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this prospective birth cohort study (ENVIRONAGE [Environmental Influence on Aging in Early Life]), mother-child pairs from Flanders, Belgium, were recruited at birth and followed up for 4 to 6 years, between October 1, 2014, and July 31, 2021. Data analysis was conducted between January and February 2022.ExposuresGreen space was estimated for high green (&gt;3 m vegetation height), low green (≤3 m vegetation height ), and total green (sum of high and low) within several radii (100-3000 m) around the residence after geocoding of the addresses.Main Outcomes and MeasuresRadial bone mineral density was assessed using quantitative ultrasound measurement at follow-up, measured as the mean of the axially transmitted speed of sound in meters per second. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used while accounting for relevant covariates and potential confounders.ResultsThe study population comprised 327 children (180 [55.0%] female; mean [SD] age, 4.6 [0.4] years at the follow-up evaluation). Early-life exposure to residential green space was associated with increased childhood bone health. An IQR increment in total green (21.2%) and high green (19.9%) space within 500 m was associated with an increase of 27.38 m/s (95% CI, 9.63-45.13 m/s) and 25.30 m/s (95% CI, 7.93-42.68 m/s) in bone mineral density, respectively. Additionally, an IQR increase in total (25.2%) and high (23.2%) green space within 1000 m was associated with a 67% (odds ratio, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.17-0.61) and 61% (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.75) lower risk of having a bone density lower than the sex-specific 10th percentile (3567.6 m/s for girls and 3522.8 m/s for boys).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this study of children aged 4 to 6 years, higher bone mineral density and a lower risk of having low bone density were associated with higher residential green space exposure during childhood. These findings highlight the importance of early-life exposure to residential green space on bone health during critical periods of growth and development, with long-term implications.

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The impact of children's exposure to greenspace on physical activity, cognitive development, emotional wellbeing, and ability to appraise risk

Cited by 166 publications

References 39 publications

Assessing the relationship between greenspace and academic achievement in urban New Zealand primary schools

Assessing the relationship between greenspace and academic achievement in urban New Zealand primary schools

Residential Surrounding Greenness, Self-Rated Health and Interrelations with Aspects of Neighborhood Environment and Social Relations

Exposure to Residential Green Space and Bone Mineral Density in Young Children

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