Link of outdoor exposure in daycare with attentional control and academic achievement in adolescence: Examining cognitive and social pathways

Abstract

Contact with nature during early childhood has many benefits, both in the short and the long term. However, explanatory mechanisms remain understudied. This study examined the long-term association of the time children spend outdoors in daycare with attentional control and academic achievement by early adolescence. It was also tested whether cognitive (i.e., inattention-hyperactivity symptoms, working memory) or social (i.e., prosocial behavior, peer acceptance) pathways during early childhood can explain such associations. We used a multi-informant longitudinal design to follow 555 children over 10 years (45% retainment rate). Working memory was assessed using the digit span test, peer acceptance was assessed using peer ratings, while children's inattentive-hyperactive and prosocial behaviors were rated by teachers. Registry data with results from national standardized test scores were used to assess academic achievement, and adolescents provided self-report ratings on attentional control. Time spent outdoors and relevant control variables were based on information provided by daycare managers and parents. Structural equation analyses showed a direct positive association between outdoor time in daycare and attentional control in adolescence, and an indirect cognitive pathway linking outdoor time in daycare to academic achievement in adolescence via enhanced working memory in early childhood. In conclusion, time spent outdoors may be an accessible way to enhance children's social, cognitive, and academic functioning, with potential long-term benefits.