Residential neighborhood greenery and children's cognitive development

Aaron Reuben,Louise Arseneault,Daniel W Belsky,Avshalom Caspi,Helen L Fisher,Renate M Houts,Terrie E Moffitt,Candice Odgers

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.04.029

Abstract

Children who grow up in neighborhoods with more green vegetation show enhanced cognitive development in specific domains over short timespans. However, it is unknown if neighborhood greenery per se is uniquely predictive of children's overall cognitive development measured across many years. The E-Risk Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative 1994-5 birth-cohort of children in Britain (n = 1658 urban and suburban-dwelling participants), was used to test whether residential neighborhood greenery uniquely predicts children's cognitive development across childhood and adolescence. Greenery exposure was assessed from ages 5 to 18 using the satellite imagery-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1-mile buffers around the home. Fluid and crystalized intellectual performance was assessed in the home at ages 5, 12, and 18 using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and executive function, working memory, and attention ability were assessed in the home at age 18 using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Children living in residences surrounded by more neighborhood greenery scored significantly higher, on average, on IQ measures at all ages. However, the association between greenery and cognitive measures did not hold after accounting for family or neighborhood socioeconomic status. After adjustment for study covariates, child greenery exposure was not a significant predictor of longitudinal increases in IQ across childhood and adolescence or of executive function, working memory, or attention ability at age 18. Children raised in greener neighborhoods exhibit better overall cognitive ability, but the association is likely accounted for by family and neighborhood socioeconomic factors.

Highlights

Children who grow up in more versus less affluent neighborhoods exhibit better physical, psychological, and cognitive outcomes (Leventhal et al, 2015)
To adjust for possible self-selection into greener neighborhoods by families of children carrying genes associated with more rapid cognitive development and higher levels of cognitive function, we turned to a polygenic score derived from a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of educational attainment
In a cross-sectional analysis, we tested the association between childhood greenery exposure and child cognitive ability measured at ages 5, 12, and 18 using full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimated regression models to account for missing data

Summary

Introduction

Children who grow up in more versus less affluent neighborhoods exhibit better physical, psychological, and cognitive outcomes (Leventhal et al, 2015). A number of recent studies have reported positive associations between neighborhood greenery, or the amount of leafy-green vegetation growing within a neighborhood, and children's scores on cognitive and academic tests in urban and suburban settings (Dadvand et al, 2015, 2017; 2018; Flouri et al, 2018; Hodson and Sander, 2017; Kuo et al, 2018; Kweon et al, 2017; Matsuoka, 2010; Sivarajah et al, 2018; Wu et al, 2014). This study sought to determine whether residential neighborhood greenery is uniquely predictive of children's overall cognitive ability at multiple ages across childhood and adolescence or with longitudinal growth in children's cognitive abilities as they develop, using high-quality measures of genetic and socioeconomic factors to adjust for the potential self-selection of children with high cognitive ability into greener neighborhoods

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Statistical analysis

Results

Discussion