Spending time among the trees has been linked to better brain health in children

A study by scientists from the UK indicates that children's mental health is related to the natural environment with which they come into contact more often. Yes, children who spend more time among the trees have better cognitive abilities and fewer emotional and behavioral problems than, for example, those who spend more time near water bodies. This is stated in a study in the journal Nature Sustainability. Spending time among the trees has been linked to better brain health in children.

Why did you pay attention to this?

One of the criteria that determine the well-being of an urban area is considered to be how green it is. And this also has a scientific basis. Many studies in recent years have shown that living in green areas promotes better physical and mental health, especially when it comes to children. Some scientific studies have even found that the presence of deciduous vegetation affects the success of children in school. Although the benefits of the environment for human health are not the subject of heated debate among scientists, the mechanisms underlying it are not known. Some believe that dense vegetation reduces the impact on humans of urban stressors such as noise, heat and air pollution, which affect cognitive function and overall health. Others attribute the effect on our evolutionary emotional perception of nature to recovery. It is not easy to understand this question, so scientists decided to find out whether different mental environments have the same effect on children's mental development.

How did they study this connection?

The researchers conducted a long study involving 3,568 children from 31 schools in London, ranging in age from nine to fifteen. It is during this period that key changes in the brain take place that affect the ability to perceive the world, think and make decisions. The researchers assessed the cognitive development, mental health and overall well-being of all participants. Therefore, they tried to find out whether these indicators are related to the environment in which children live.

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The area was divided into two groups: green space (forest, meadows, park, etc.) and blue (rivers, lake, sea and the like). For their part, in the green space they separated the forest area and meadow, ie rich in trees and those where they are scarce. To calculate how often children come into daily contact with each of these environments within 50, 100, 250 and 500 meters, the researchers used satellite images of the surroundings of schools and children's homes.

What are the results of the study?

The researchers concluded that daily contact with wooded areas is associated with higher rates of cognitive development than regular stay in poorer meadows. These children also had a 16 percent lower risk of developing emotional and behavioral disorders over a two-year period. A similar pattern was also found for green space in general, but it did not apply to blue. According to the authors, their results should be taken into account when planning urban planning to get the most out of cognitive development and mental health from their environment. At the same time, the authors point out that the limitation of their work can be considered the fact that more than half of the participating children had parents who were engaged in management or professional activities. Therefore, it is possible that children from less well-off socio-economic groups are underrepresented in the study, and they may be affected differently by plantings.

Also, this study does not explain why only trees have a significant impact on mental health. Perhaps the thing is more plants and animals that can be observed in wooded areas. However, this issue needs to be investigated in more detail.

Green spaces are likely to have a positive effect not only on children's mental health, but also on the development of the immune system. Last year, scientists demonstrated that regular games on green playgrounds are associated with a better immune system than games on conventional concrete playgrounds.