Shaoping Yang
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Title: Effects of exposure to green space on problem behaviors in preschool-aged children
Biography
Biography: Shaoping Yang
Abstract
There is limited evidence regarding the association of green space exposure with childhood behavioral development. We aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to green space and multiple syndromes of problem behaviors in preschool children.
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in Wuhan, China from April 2016 to June 2018. We recruited a representative sample of 4,774 children, aged five to six years, from 17 kindergartens located in six urban districts of the city. We determined the presence of green space from high spatial-resolution (30 m 30 m) satellite data. We measured greenness using the average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within a buffer with radius of 100 meters surrounding the locations of residences and kindergartens. We estimated the associations between green space exposure and childhood problem behaviors using the childhood behavior checklist (CBCL) and employing generalized estimating equations.
We observed decreases in problem behaviors associated with exposure to green space in preschool children. For example, one standard deviation increase in kindergarten NDVI was associated with decreased T scores of anxiety/depression (-0.440, 95% CI: -0.725, -0.155), somatic complaints (-0.293, 95% CI: -0.568, -0.018), aggressive behavior (-0.344, 95% CI: -0.629, -0.060), and hyperactivity/inattention (-0.348, 95% CI: -0.632, -0.064). Similar associations were observed between exposure to residence-kindergarten weighted surrounding greenness and childhood problem behaviors. Stratified analyses indicated that boys benefited to a greater degree than girls with respect to different indicators of green space exposure.
Children attending kindergarten with more green space exhibited enhanced behavioral development. Interventions to develop green spaces in kindergartens could produce significant benefits in the behavioral development of preschool children.