Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 1 day ago
Greener Neighborhoods Linked to Slightly Better Attention in Children
A study linked greener neighborhoods with slightly better attention scores in children across the United States.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis analyzed data on 11,868 children who were nine or 10 when they joined the study.
They compared greenery near each child’s home with results from tests of focus and other skills.
For every 10-percentage-point increase in nearby green space, attention scores were 0.76 points higher, after researchers accounted for factors including ADHD, screen time, income and neighborhood safety.
The study also found a link with reading and vocabulary scores, but that link was less clear after family income was considered.
The findings show an association, not that green space causes better attention, and researchers say the results cannot establish cause and effect because each child was assessed at one point in time.
A study of 11,868 American children found that greener neighborhoods were linked to slightly higher attention scores.
A 10-percentage-point increase in neighborhood green space was associated with an attention score 0.76 points higher.
The researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and assessed children aged nine or 10.
The findings show an association but cannot prove that green space caused higher scores.
The study also examined reading and vocabulary, but the reported link with those skills was less clear.
- Who
- Researchers led by Carina Fowler at Washington University in St. Louis studied 11,868 children.
- What
- The study found a small association between neighborhood greenery and children’s attention scores.
- When
- The analysis included children who joined the study between 2016 and 2018. The articles were published on November 7, 2026.
- Where
- Children were recruited near 21 sites across the continental United States.
- Why
- Researchers examined whether greater access to green space was linked to attention and school-related skills.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Children joined the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
Discover and Earth.com published reports on the study’s findings.
- Children studied
- 11,868
- Age
- Nine or 10 when they joined the study
- Recruitment sites
- 21 sites across the continental United States
- Green space and attention
- A 10-percentage-point increase was linked to an attention score 0.76 points higher
- Study dataset
- Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study
2 sources
What people are saying
The greater the proximity to green space, the better kids did on objective assessments of their attention performance.
You have to feel safe in the green space to have an effect.
It seems people need something to be occupying them a little bit – but not too much – and that nature can provide that really well.