19-06-2015
A study with primary school pupils in Barcelona shows that an increase in vegetation around the school has a positive effect on cognitive development.
Green spaces significantly improve cognitive development of children.
Every increase in the interquartile range of the surrounding greenery total was associated with a 5% increase in working memory, a 6% increase in top working memory and a reduction of 1% in the lack of attention. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that contact with nature has a fundamental and irreplaceable role in brain development. But so far, the available evidence about the impact green spaces still scarce. To test the association between cognitive maturity and exposure to green spaces at home and at school, work directed by Payam Dadvand and coordinated by Jordi Sunyer, CREAL researchers, allied ISGlobal center has enabled monitor changes in cognitive measures every three months January 2012 to March 2013 almost 2,600 primary school students between 7 and 10 years old in Barcelona. Over a period of 12 months, exposure to greenery around schools, as determined by satellite data has been associated with better mental capacity to manipulate continuously and update the powers of information known. Among them working memory and higher labor, respectively, and a reduction of inattention, regardless of ethnicity, mother's education and occupation of parents. Every increase in the interquartile range of the surrounding greenery total was associated with a 5% increase in working memory, a 6% increase in top working memory and a reduction of 1% in the lack of attention. The air pollution also affects "We also found that air pollution related traffic accounted for between 20 and 65% of the estimated associations between the greenery around the school and cognitive development. A observed the influence of green spaces in cognitive development could be mediated by the ability of green spaces to reduce air pollution, which in turn has negatively associated with cognitive development, "explains Dadvand. However, there was no relationship between exposure to green houses and cognitive measures. "Given the rising rates of global urbanization, expansion of green spaces in schools could lead to improvements in cognitive development school, which ultimately can lead to a mental advantage in the capital of the population" Sunyer concluded. According to Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, CREAL researcher, Barcelona is a city with high levels of air pollution and relatively little green space. "This study provides further support the efforts of the city council to renaturalitzar and reduce car use by encouraging both public transport and active transport," said the expert.
Bibliographic reference:
Payam Dadvand et al. "Green Spaces and Cognitive Development in Primary schoolchildren; A Prospective Study." PNAS June 2015.
