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Impact of Residential Greenness on Preschool Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Author

Listed:
  • Birute Balseviciene

    (Department of Theoretical Psychology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Liuda Sinkariova

    (Department of Theoretical Psychology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Regina Grazuleviciene

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Sandra Andrusaityte

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Inga Uzdanaviciute

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Audrius Dedele

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio str. 58, Kaunas 44248, Lithuania)

  • Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen

    (Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, E-08003, Spain)

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of the proximity to city parks and the influence of residential greenness on children’s emotional and behavioral problems. This cross-sectional study included 1,468 mothers of children (ages 4 to 6) who were residents of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. The mothers and their children were enrolled in the FP7 PHENOTYPE project study. The mothers reported on their parenting stress and their children’s mental health. Residential greenness was characterized as an average of the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in a 300 m buffer around each home address, and the proximity to city parks was defined as the distance from the subject’s residence to the nearest park. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association among the residence distances from city parks, greenness and children’s mental health problems. Farther residential distance from city parks was associated with worse mental health (except for the emotional problems subscale) in children whose mothers had a lower education level. More residential greenness was associated with worse mental health (more conditional problems and less prosocial behavior) in children whose mothers had a higher education level. These relationships have important implications for the prevention of emotional and behavioral problems in children.

Suggested Citation

  • Birute Balseviciene & Liuda Sinkariova & Regina Grazuleviciene & Sandra Andrusaityte & Inga Uzdanaviciute & Audrius Dedele & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, 2014. "Impact of Residential Greenness on Preschool Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:7:p:6757-6770:d:37595
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Xiaoqi Feng & Thomas Astell-Burt, 2017. "The Relationship between Neighbourhood Green Space and Child Mental Wellbeing Depends upon Whom You Ask: Multilevel Evidence from 3083 Children Aged 12–13 Years," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-11, February.
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    4. Vincenza Gianfredi & Maddalena Buffoli & Andrea Rebecchi & Roberto Croci & Aurea Oradini-Alacreu & Giuseppe Stirparo & Alessio Marino & Anna Odone & Stefano Capolongo & Carlo Signorelli, 2021. "Association between Urban Greenspace and Health: A Systematic Review of Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-23, May.
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    6. Suzanne Tillmann & Andrew F. Clark & Jason A. Gilliland, 2018. "Children and Nature: Linking Accessibility of Natural Environments and Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, May.
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    8. Nadja Kabisch & Dagmar Haase & Matilda Annerstedt van den Bosch, 2016. "Adding Natural Areas to Social Indicators of Intra-Urban Health Inequalities among Children: A Case Study from Berlin, Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Gert-Jan Vanaken & Marina Danckaerts, 2018. "Impact of Green Space Exposure on Children’s and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-17, November.
    10. Xiangrong Jiang & Linda Larsen & William Sullivan, 2020. "Connections Between Daily Greenness Exposure and Health Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-20, June.
    11. Amy Hillier & Bing Han & Theodore S. Eisenman & Kelly R. Evenson & Thomas L. McKenzie & Deborah A. Cohen, 2016. "Using Systematic Observations to Understand Conditions that Promote Interracial Experiences in Neighbourhood Parks," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 1(4), pages 51-64.
    12. Amanda Alderton & Meredith O’Connor & Hannah Badland & Lucy Gunn & Claire Boulangé & Karen Villanueva, 2022. "Access to and Quality of Neighbourhood Public Open Space and Children’s Mental Health Outcomes: Evidence from Population Linked Data across Eight Australian Capital Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-25, June.
    13. Langjiao Li & Qingyun Du & Fu Ren & Xiangyuan Ma, 2019. "Assessing Spatial Accessibility to Hierarchical Urban Parks by Multi-Types of Travel Distance in Shenzhen, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-23, March.
    14. Marco Helbich, 2019. "Spatiotemporal Contextual Uncertainties in Green Space Exposure Measures: Exploring a Time Series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-13, March.
    15. Mireia Gascon & Margarita Triguero-Mas & David Martínez & Payam Dadvand & Joan Forns & Antoni Plasència & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, 2015. "Mental Health Benefits of Long-Term Exposure to Residential Green and Blue Spaces: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-26, April.
    16. José Ignacio Nazif-Munoz & José Guillermo Cedeno Laurent & Matthew Browning & John Spengler & Héctor A. Olvera Álvarez, 2020. "Green, Brown, and Gray: Associations between Different Measurements of Land Patterns and Depression among Nursing Students in El Paso, Texas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, November.
    17. Liping Liao & Minzhe Du, 2022. "Associations between Greenspaces and Individual Health: A Longitudinal Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-15, October.
    18. Amanda Alderton & Karen Villanueva & Meredith O’Connor & Claire Boulangé & Hannah Badland, 2019. "Reducing Inequities in Early Childhood Mental Health: How Might the Neighborhood Built Environment Help Close the Gap? A Systematic Search and Critical Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-23, April.
    19. Amber L. Fyfe-Johnson & Carolyn J. Noonan & Maria B. Butcher & Magdalena K. Haakenstad, 2025. "Physical and Mental Health of Caregivers and Educators of Preschool-Aged Children: Identifying Benefits and Barriers to Outdoor Time, How Outdoor Time Can Make a Difference for Health Equity, and Why ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(2), pages 1-17, February.
    20. Magdalena K. Haakenstad & Maria B. Butcher & Carolyn J. Noonan & Amber L. Fyfe-Johnson, 2023. "Outdoor Time in Childhood: A Mixed Methods Approach to Identify Barriers and Opportunities for Intervention in a Racially and Ethnically Mixed Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(24), pages 1-22, December.
    21. Jun-Hyun Kim & Chanam Lee & Wonmin Sohn, 2016. "Urban Natural Environments, Obesity, and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hispanic Children Living in Inner-City Neighborhoods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, January.
    22. Amber L. Pearson & Catherine D. Brown & Aaron Reuben & Natalie Nicholls & Karin A. Pfeiffer & Kimberly A. Clevenger, 2023. "Elementary Classroom Views of Nature Are Associated with Lower Child Externalizing Behavior Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-14, April.
    23. Alister Baird & Bridget Candy & Eirini Flouri & Nick Tyler & Angela Hassiotis, 2023. "The Association between Physical Environment and Externalising Problems in Typically Developing and Neurodiverse Children and Young People: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-35, January.

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