Urban greenspace and visual acuity in schoolchildren: a large prospective cohort study in China

Abstract

BackgroundGreenspace is known to have a positive impact on human health and well-being, but its potential effects on visual acuity have not been extensively studied. ObjectivesOur aim was to examine the relationship between long-term greenspace exposure and visual acuity in children, while also exploring the potential mechanisms in this association. MethodsWe conducted this prospective cohort study based on the Children’s growth environment, lifestyle, physical, and mental health development project (COHERENCE), which screened 286,801 schoolchildren in Guangzhou, China, starting in the 2016/17 academic year and followed them up for three academic years (2017/18-2019/20). Visual acuity was measured using a standardized logarithmic chart, and visual impairment was defined as visual acuity worse than 0.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) units in the better eye. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to assess the greenspace surrounding child's geocoded home and school at each visit. ResultsOur analysis indicated that higher greenspace exposure was associated with greater visual acuity z-score at baseline and with slower decline in visual acuity z-score during the 3-year follow-up. An interquartile range increase in home-school-based NDVI 300m was associated with a 7% decrease [hazard ratios (HRs): 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92, 0.94] in the risk of visual impairment. We also found that air pollution, physical activity, outdoor time, and recreational screen time partially mediated the greenspace-visual acuity association. ConclusionOur findings suggest that increasing greenspace exposure could benefit children’s visual acuity development and reduce the risk of visual impairment by reducing air pollution and recreational screen time while increasing physical activity and outdoor time. All results could have potential policy implications, given the individual and societal burdens associated with visual impairment.