Why ADHD Children Need Green Space – “Science News”

Research by Thygesen and colleagues indicates that spending a little extra to provide greater access to green spaces for children may be money well spent.

The Thygesen-lead team reports that when they reviewed data collected in Denmark for “individuals, who were born in Denmark between 1992 and 2007 . . . and followed for a diagnosis of ADHD [Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] from age 5, during the period 1997–2016. . . . Individuals living in areas defined by sparse green vegetation . . . had an increased risk of developing ADHD, compared with individuals living in areas within the highest [levels of green space]. . . . findings suggest that lower levels of green space in residential surroundings, during early childhood, may be associated with a higher risk of developing ADHD.”

Malene Thygesen, Kristine Engemann, Gitte Holst, Birgitte Hansen, Camilla Geels, Jorgen Brandt, Carsten Pedersen, and Soren Dalsgaard.  2020.  “The Association Between Residential Green Space in Childhood and Development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:  A Population-Based Cohort Study.”  Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 128, no. 12, https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6729