Urban planning can affect cognitive and motor development in children: Study

BARCELONA: Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) conducted a study on health benefits of well-designed urban planning. The results of the study were published in the journal ‘Environment International’. According to the study, children’s cognitive and motor performance can be affected by a properly created urban space with green space, a well-built environment, and air pollution. Various previous studies have suggested that the urban environment can alter neurodevelopment from conception onwards; for example, through air pollution exposure. However, no study had used an early-life exposome strategy to assess the influence of various exposure groups at the same time.

The impact of 13 urban exposures on the cognitive and motor function of nearly 5,500 children in seven European areas, including Bradford, United Kingdom; France; Gipuzkoa, Sabadell, and Valencia, Spain; and Nancy and Poitiers, Greece; was studied by a team from the European HELIX project, which was coordinated by ISGlobal. The researchers drew on data from Bradford birth cohorts, EDEN, the INMA Environment and Childhood project, and RHEA.

This study assessed urban residential exposures from pregnancy until three years of age. The factors that were analysed included the built environment (building density, proximity to public transport, facility richness, etc), natural spaces, and air pollution from nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. When the children were four to five years old, approved assessments were used to assess cognitive functions (verbal and nonverbal abilities) and motor function (fine and gross motor capabilities).

The study found that exposure to some well-built environment design factors, natural spaces and air pollution can be associated with children’s cognitive and motor function at five years of age. Higher exposure to greenness within 300 metres of the home during pregnancy was associated with higher verbal abilities. In contrast to this, greater connectivity (density of street intersections) and land-use diversity during pregnancy were associated with lower verbal abilities.

In line with previous researches, the study found greater exposure to fine particulate matter (air pollution) during pregnancy to be associated with lower scores on tests of fine motor function. It also confirmed the mediating effect of air pollution on the association between green space and verbal skills.