Long-Term Green Space Exposure and Cognition Across the Life Course: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Curr Environ Health Rep

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2016 Oct 13

PMID 27730509

Citations 61

Authors

Carmen de Keijzer

Mireia Gascon

Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen

Payam Dadvand

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An accumulating body of evidence is suggestive for health-promoting effects of exposure to natural environments including green spaces. We aimed to systematically review the available observational evidence on the association between long-term exposure to green space and cognition over the life course. PubMed and Scopus were searched using a combination of green space and cognition keywords. Original research articles of observational studies on the association between green space exposure and cognition were collected. The quality of available studies was assessed using available frameworks. The review identified 13 studies meeting the selection criteria. Considering the limited number of available studies, most of poor or fair quality, the existing evidence on the association between green spaces and cognition can be considered as inadequate; however, it is suggestive for beneficial associations between such an exposure and cognitive development in childhood and cognitive function in adulthood.

Citing Articles

Associations between ambient pollen exposure and measures of cognitive performance.

Corpening B, Burgler A, Tamasi B, Gehrig R, Gan K, Alonso Hellweg A Environ Epidemiol. 2025; 9(2):e374.

PMID: 40012845 PMC: 11864305. DOI: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000374.

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Changes to Urban Green Spaces on Health and Education Outcomes, and a Critique of Their Applicability to Inform Economic Evaluation.

Raza W, Bojke L, Coventry P, Murphy P, Fulbright H, White P Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(11).

PMID: 39595720 PMC: 11594178. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21111452.

Effect of nature on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: meta-review.

Lomax T, Butler J, Cipriani A, Singh I Br J Psychiatry. 2024; 225(3):401-409.

PMID: 39101636 PMC: 11536187. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2024.109.

Invited Perspective: More Greenspace, Less Cognitive Decline? Current Evidence and Future Directions.

Hu L, Yang B Environ Health Perspect. 2024; 132(7):71302.

PMID: 39016601 PMC: 11253811. DOI: 10.1289/EHP14915.

Midlife Residential Greenness and Late-Life Cognitive Decline among Nurses' Health Study Participants.

Pescador Jimenez M, Wagner M, Laden F, Hart J, Grodstein F, James P Environ Health Perspect. 2024; 132(7):77003.

PMID: 39016600 PMC: 11253812. DOI: 10.1289/EHP13588.

References

Power M, Weisskopf M, Alexeeff S, Coull B, Spiro 3rd A, Schwartz J . Traffic-related air pollution and cognitive function in a cohort of older men. Environ Health Perspect. 2010; 119(5):682-7. PMC: 3094421. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002767. View

Song C, Joung D, Ikei H, Igarashi M, Aga M, Park B . Physiological and psychological effects of walking on young males in urban parks in winter. J Physiol Anthropol. 2013; 32:18. PMC: 3817995. DOI: 10.1186/1880-6805-32-18. View

Sanders T, Feng X, Fahey P, Lonsdale C, Astell-Burt T . The influence of neighbourhood green space on children's physical activity and screen time: findings from the longitudinal study of Australian children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015; 12:126. PMC: 4589082. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-015-0288-z. View

Wu Y, Prina A, Jones A, Barnes L, Matthews F, Brayne C . Community environment, cognitive impairment and dementia in later life: results from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Age Ageing. 2015; 44(6):1005-11. PMC: 4621236. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afv137. View

Forns J, Esnaola M, Lopez-Vicente M, Suades-Gonzalez E, Alvarez-Pedrerol M, Julvez J . The n-back test and the attentional network task as measures of child neuropsychological development in epidemiological studies. Neuropsychology. 2014; 28(4):519-29. DOI: 10.1037/neu0000085. View

Wu Y, Prina A, Brayne C . The association between community environment and cognitive function: a systematic review. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2014; 50(3):351-62. PMC: 4322216. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-014-0945-6. View

Trautmann M, Zepf F . Attentional performance, age and scholastic achievement in healthy children. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e32279. PMC: 3315543. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032279. View

Wolch J, Jerrett M, Reynolds K, McConnell R, Chang R, Dahmann N . Childhood obesity and proximity to urban parks and recreational resources: a longitudinal cohort study. Health Place. 2010; 17(1):207-14. PMC: 4380517. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.10.001. View

McCallum J, Simons L, Simons J, Friedlander Y . Delaying dementia and nursing home placement: the Dubbo study of elderly Australians over a 14-year follow-up. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007; 1114:121-9. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1396.049. View

10.

Gong Y, Gallacher J, Palmer S, Fone D . Neighbourhood green space, physical function and participation in physical activities among elderly men: the Caerphilly Prospective study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014; 11(1):40. PMC: 3994572. DOI: 10.1186/1479-5868-11-40. View

11.

Astell-Burt T, Mitchell R, Hartig T . The association between green space and mental health varies across the lifecourse. A longitudinal study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2014; 68(6):578-83. DOI: 10.1136/jech-2013-203767. View

12.

Richardson E, Pearce J, Mitchell R, Kingham S . Role of physical activity in the relationship between urban green space and health. Public Health. 2013; 127(4):318-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.01.004. View

13.

Beddington J, Cooper C, Field J, Goswami U, Huppert F, Jenkins R . The mental wealth of nations. Nature. 2008; 455(7216):1057-60. DOI: 10.1038/4551057a. View

14.

Wu C, McNeely E, Cedeno-Laurent J, Pan W, Adamkiewicz G, Dominici F . Linking student performance in Massachusetts elementary schools with the "greenness" of school surroundings using remote sensing. PLoS One. 2014; 9(10):e108548. PMC: 4195655. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108548. View

15.

Prohaska T, Eisenstein A, Satariano W, Hunter R, Bayles C, Kurtovich E . Walking and the preservation of cognitive function in older populations. Gerontologist. 2009; 49 Suppl 1:S86-93. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnp079. View

16.

Wheeler B, Cooper A, Page A, Jago R . Greenspace and children's physical activity: a GPS/GIS analysis of the PEACH project. Prev Med. 2010; 51(2):148-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.06.001. View

17.

Fedewa A, Ahn S . The effects of physical activity and physical fitness on children's achievement and cognitive outcomes: a meta-analysis. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2011; 82(3):521-35. DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2011.10599785. View

18.

Porta D, Narduzzi S, Badaloni C, Bucci S, Cesaroni G, Colelli V . Air Pollution and Cognitive Development at Age 7 in a Prospective Italian Birth Cohort. Epidemiology. 2015; 27(2):228-36. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000405. View

19.

Gascon M, Triguero-Mas M, Martinez D, Dadvand P, Rojas-Rueda D, Plasencia A . Residential green spaces and mortality: A systematic review. Environ Int. 2015; 86:60-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.013. View

20.

Stansfeld S, Berglund B, Clark C, Lopez-Barrio I, Fischer P, Ohrstrom E . Aircraft and road traffic noise and children's cognition and health: a cross-national study. Lancet. 2005; 365(9475):1942-9. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66660-3. View