Greenspace at school is a predictor of lower obsessive-compulsive behaviors in childrenThis is the first study to study correlations between obsessive-compulsive behaviors in children and the greenspaces around their homes and schools. Greenspaces have positive effects on children’s brain development and mental health. However, previous research has not investigated if these benefits include less obsessive-compulsive behavior. This Spanish study measured how the availability of greenspace at home and school was associated with obsessive-compulsive behaviors in schoolchildren age 9-10 to investigate other possible benefits of greenspace exposure.
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from a cohort of 378 schoolchildren from Barcelona who are part of a larger study investigating risk factors of psychological problems in children. Researchers measured participants’ greenspace exposure at both home and school using three different satellite indices. They also assessed children for obsessive compulsive behaviors using clinical diagnostic interviews and questionnaires to determine OCB scores. Then they ran statistical analyses to determine the strength of correlations between indicators of greenspace exposure and obsessive-compulsive behaviors as well as additional demographic data, such as sex, parental education, stressful life events, neighborhood SES, and ethnicity.
This statistical analysis identified a significant association between greater exposure to greenspace at school and lower obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Specifically, indicators of tree cover and green ground cover around the school were the strongest predictors of lower OCB scores. Protective associations between the distance to the closest green space at school and greenspace exposure at home and OCB indicators were not statistically significant. According to some measures, the benefits of greenspace exposure at school were stronger for girls and children with higher socioeconomic status. However, in one case – distance to closest green space (from the home but not the school setting) – the relationship between nature and OCB was stronger for lower socioeconomic status children. The researchers cautioned that sample limitations, including underrepresentation of lower socioeconomic status children in the sample, may have influenced these findings.
Based on this study, reduced obsessive-compulsive behaviors in primary school children is another benefit of greenspace exposure. However, a key implication is that greenspaces around schools are more beneficial than greenspaces around homes. This study thus provides empirical support for green schoolyards since greenspace surrounding school was linked to lower OCB scores. The study’s relatively limited findings also suggest a need for longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes to provide stronger scientific evidence of the potential psychological benefits of children’s exposure to greenspace at school and at home.
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