Green environments are associated with improved child brain development and mental health. We study cross-sectionally the association of the availability of greenspace at home and school with obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCB) in primary schoolchildren. Greenspace and tree cover surrounding home and school of 378 children aged 9 to 10 in Barcelona (Spain) were characterized using satellite-based indices [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), Vegetation Continuous Field (VCF)] across buffers of 100, 300, and 500 m, and distance to the nearest green space. OCB was assessed with the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent version. Linear and mixed effects models showed that greenspace at school, but not at home, was significantly related to a reduction in OCB across buffers, with benefits for girls and also children with graduate parents. Higher greenspace around the school might be associated with less obsessive-compulsive behavior in primary schoolchildren, especially in girls and those with higher socioeconomic status.
CITATION STYLE
Ezpeleta, L., Navarro, J. B., Alonso, L., de la Osa, N., Ambrós, A., Ubalde, M., … Dadvand, P. (2022). Greenspace Exposure and Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors in Schoolchildren. Environment and Behavior, 54(5), 893–916. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165221095384
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