Fact Sheet: Children's Health and Nature

Current State of Children’s Health

Our children may be the first generation at risk of having a shorter lifespan than their parents [1]. Sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity have contributed greatly to the numerous health problems plaguing today’s children. Chronic conditions such as childhood obesity, asthma, and attention-deficit disorder have all increased over the past few decades [2]. These chronic conditions may lead to pulmonary, cardiovascular, and mental health problems in adulthood. Outdoor activity in the natural environment has taken a back seat to television, video games, the computer, and a demanding schoolwork and extracurricular schedule. Today’s youth are losing the contact with the natural environment that is potentially beneficial for their health and well-being. 

Childhood Obesity

Approximately 16% of US children (~ 9 million) aged 6-19 are overweight or obese [3]. According to the Institute of Medicine, childhood obesity has doubled over the past 30 years for preschoolers and adolescents, and more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years old [4]. 

Obesity-Related Diseases

Type-2 Diabetes
Due to the drastic increase in the prevalence of pediatric diabetes over the past few decades, the definition has changed from “adult-onset” diabetes to type-2 diabetes. Approximately 176,500 children and adolescents suffer from diabetes [5].

Asthma
Currently 9.4% of children in the US have asthma [6]. Overweight children are at an increased risk for developing asthma and other respiratory problems and for being hospitalized for asthma [7, 8].

Hypertension
1 in 10 children with a BMI* within or above the 95th percentile have hypertension (vs. only 2.6% with a BMI <85th percentile) [9].

Cardiovascular Disease
Overweight adolescents are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and earlier death [1]. Most overweight children have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including higher cholesterol levels, abnormal glucose tolerance, high blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides [10]. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening overweight children for high cholesterol and prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs if needed [11].

*BMI = Body- mass index; calculated using the formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)] 2 x 703. To calculate BMI for children/adolescents, visit: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx. 

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ADD/ADHD is a serious public health problem that impacts approximately 4.3% of children aged 4-17 years old [12]. It impairs school performance and socialization and may persist into adulthood.

Vitamin-D Deficiency

Lack of an appropriate amount of vitamin D in children can cause rickets; a disease characterized by bone deformities and growth retardation. Long term deficiency can lead to osteoporosis. Sunlight exposure for 10-15 minutes at least twice a week is sufficient for the body to produce the necessary amount of vitamin D [13].

Nature and Health

Unstructured outdoor play time is important for children’s overall well-being. How does nature play a role in children’s health? Highlights of published literature supporting the health benefits of the natural environment are presented below.

Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress Among Rural Children [14]

Childhood stress has become an increasing issue of concern for pediatricians in America. The workload of school and extracurricular activities has the potential to create more stress upon a child, which can affect the child’s development. Evidence has shown that the outdoors is a stress reliever to highly stressed children. A study examined whether nearby nature acts as a buffer of life stress among rural elementary school children. The authors determined if the child lived near a natural environment, and then examined the child’s self-worth and levels of psychological distress. Contact with nature not only decreased their stress, but higher amounts of exposure to natural environments indicated lower levels of stress in a child.

Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings [15]

An increasing amount of evidence is showing that exposure to natural environments can mitigate a child’s attention disorder. Experimenters of a 2001 study analyzed this concept by surveying parents to compare their child’s attentional functioning when engaging in leisure activities in indoor vs. outdoor settings. Results included that children had better attentional functioning after activities in greener settings. The greener the setting, the less severe the symptoms of the child’s attention disorder.