Green spaces boost bone health in kids

Children with higher exposure to residential green spaces appear to have greater bone mineral density and a lower risk of having low bone density, as reported in a study.

The study included 327 children recruited at birth and followed up for 4 to 6 years (mean age 4.6 years at the follow-up evaluation, 55.0 percent girls) from Flanders, Belgium. Green space was assessed for high green (>3 m vegetation height), low green (≤3 m vegetation height), and total green (sum of high and low) within several radii (100–3,000 m) around the residence. Researchers assessed radial bone mineral density using quantitative ultrasound measurement at follow-up.

Early-life exposure to residential green space was linked to increased childhood bone health. An IQR increment of 21.2 percent in total green space and of 19.9 percent in high green space within 500 m was associated with an increase of 27.38 m/s (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 9.63–45.13) and 25.30 m/s (95 percent CI, 7.93–42.68) in bone mineral density, respectively.

Likewise, an IQR increase of 25.2 percent in total green space and of 23.2 percent in high green space within 1,000 m reduced the odds of having a bone density lower than the sex-specific 10th percentile (3,567.6 m/s for girls and 3,522.8 m/s for boys) by 67 percent (odds ratio [OR], 0.33, 95 percent CI, 0.17–0.61) and 61 percent (OR, 0.39, 95 percent CI, 0.18–0.75), respectively.

The present data highlight the role of early-life exposure to residential green space on bone health during critical periods of growth and development, with long-term implications.