Study suggests green spaces positively affect growing kids

UF Health Podcasts

Ever wondered if that park down the street could be benefiting your child’s health? A new study from researchers in Spain suggests it might be more important than you think.

Analyzing data from 35,000 children across eight countries, scientists noted a link between early exposure to green spaces and better lung function.

The research study examined green space exposure during two key periods: pregnancy and childhood. By using satellite images to measure vegetation around the children’s homes, the study tracked lung health via spirometry tests that measure how much air a child can exhale and how open their airways are.

The team measured something called forced vital capacity, the maximum amount of air a person can exhale after taking a deep breath. Then, to see how open the airways are, researchers measured the volume of air exhaled in the first second of forced breathing after a deep inhale.

The results? Children who lived near greener areas had significantly better lung function, including both the maximum amount exhaled and the volume of air exhaled in the first second.

Those farther from green spaces fared worse on the tests.

While the benefits of greener neighborhoods were observed across all socioeconomic groups, the effect was stronger for children from higher-income families. This could be because families with more resources often have easier access to safe, well-maintained green areas.

While it might be easy to overlook the importance of nearby parks, it turns out that those green spaces are good for health. So, the next time your children are hollering to go to a park, think of it as a healthy treat.