homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Children in greener urban areas have a higher IQ and fewer behavioral issues

More reasons to be living near parks and green areas.

Fermin Koop
August 24, 2020 @ 4:42 pm

share Share

Children living in urban areas with a higher percentage of green space have higher intelligence and fewer behavioral problems, according to a new study. The findings bring yet another piece of evidence regarding the importance of green areas for children’s cognitive development.

Credit Jay Hsu. Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

A group of researchers from Belgium assessed the intelligence of over 600 children between 7 and 15 years old. They found that a 3% rise in the greenness of their neighborhood increased IQ score by an average of 2.6 points, an effect noticed both in rich and poor areas of Belgium.

“There is more and more evidence that green surroundings are associated with our cognitive function, such as memory skills and attention,” Tim Nawrot, a professor at Hasselt University in Belgium, where the study was conducted, told The Guardian.

“What this study adds with IQ is a harder, well-established clinical measure.”

The researchers used satellite images to check the level of greenness in the neighborhoods where participants lived. They reviewed parks, gardens, street trees, and all other types of vegetation. The average IQ score of the children was 105, with 4% of them with a score below 80 having grown up in areas with low levels of green areas.

None of the children had an IQ score below 80 in areas with a high amount of green space. Nevertheless, the benefits seen from greenery in urban areas weren’t replicated in suburban or rural areas. This might have been due to those places having enough greenness for everyone living there to benefit from, Nawrot said.

The researchers also measured behavioral difficulties in children such as aggressiveness and poor attention, using a standard rating scale. The average score was 46, with a 3% increase in greenery leading to a two-point drop in behavioral problems, agreeing with the findings of previous studies.

“I’m always wary of the term intelligence as it has a problematic history and unfortunate associations,” Mathew White, an environmental psychologist from Exeter University, not related to the study, told The Guardian.

“But, if anything, this study might help us move away from seeing intelligence as innate – it could be influenced by the environment, and I think that is much healthier.”

The researchers argue this is the first study investigating the association between residential green space and intelligence in children. Previous studies have already shown that urban green space is important for cognitive development in children by improving working memory, attention, and school performance.

The results provide important policy and public health implications. Whereas in 1950, only 30% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, more than half of the global population today lives in cities. This is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.

Residents of urban areas often have limited access to natural environments in their daily lives. That’s why understanding the health disparities that exist between urban and rural environments is essential for maintaining and improving human well-being in a rapidly urbanizing world, according to the researchers.

The study had a set of limitations. Surrounding green space was assessed based on residential location; however, no information on school location was available. No information was available on time-activity patterns, such as time spent outdoors, and on possible mediators between green space and intelligence.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

share Share

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet 'Sea Monster' That's Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

The Soviet Union's wildest aircraft just got a second life in China.

This Shark Expert Has Spent Decades Studying Attacks and Says We’ve Been Afraid for the Wrong Reasons

The cold truth about shark attacks and why you’re safer than you think.

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

The spacecraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean after a parachute failure, ending a bold experiment in space biology and memorial spaceflight.

Ancient ‘Zombie’ Fungus Trapped in Amber Shows Mind Control Began in the Age of the Dinosaurs

The zombie fungus from the age of the dinosaurs.

Your browser lets websites track you even without cookies

Most users don't even know this type of surveillance exists.

What's Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

This season doesn’t have to be about comparison or self-criticism.

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking 'Eureka!' Moments Like Salvador Dalí

A 20-minute nap can boost your chances of a creative breakthrough, according to new research.

The world's oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it's not Australian

The story of the boomerang goes back in time even more.

Swarms of tiny robots could go up your nose, melt the mucus and clean your sinuses

The "search-and-destroy” microrobot system can chemically shred the resident bacterial biofilm.

What if Every Roadkill Had a Memorial?

Road ecology, the scientific study of how road networks impact ecosystems, presents a perfect opportunity for community science projects.