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

Greenspace promotes both physical activity and emotional well-being.

This study aimed to extend our knowledge of the relationship between greenspace and physical activity by also examining the differential effects of greenspace and physical activity on emotional well-being and the relationship between risk-taking and greenspace contact.

A set of objective measures was used to assess the impact of greenspace exposure on the physical activity and well-being of 11-14 year old children in Auckland, New Zealand. The sample of 108 children was drawn from three different schools representing geographically and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. The design of the study allowed for an investigation into the potential relationships between physical activity and greenspace with body composition, emotional well-being, sensation seeking tendencies, ability to appraise risk, and cognitive development.

Accelerometers and global positioning system (GPS) receivers were used to measure moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the locations where the MVPA activity took place. These measurements were taken over a seven-day period and included both indoor and outdoor settings in and out of school. The data set for the outdoor activities included only publicly accessible parks, sports fields, and reserves. Thus, residential backyards, vacant lots, and schoolyards were not included. Height, weight, and waist circumference measurements were taken on each of the children participating in the study. Each participant also completed online neuro-cognitive testing (memory, processing speed, executive function, etc.), a computerized risk appraisal tool, and a questionnaire for assessing emotional well-being and sensation seeking characteristics.

Findings confirmed previous research indicating a strong relationship between greenspace exposure and MVPA in children. Both greenspace exposure and MVPA were associated with greater emotional well-being, with the association being the strongest for greenspace exposure. Risk-taking and sensation-seeking scores were also positively associated with MVPA but not with greenspace exposure. No associations were found between body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, cognitive domains, and either MVPA or greenspace exposure.  The authors conclude that spending time in greenspace may be a helpful means of increasing physical activity and emotional well-being in children.

Citation

Ward, J., Duncan, J.S., Jarden, A., Stewart, T., (2016). The impact of children's exposure to greenspace on physical activity, cognitive development, emotional wellbeing, and ability to appraise risk. Health & Place, 40, 44-50.

DOI

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