Living near green spaces increased bone density

Children who live close to green spaces, such as a park, garden or forest, have stronger and healthier bones, according to a new study.
The study is the first of its kind and confirms previous data, according to which adults living in greener areas also often have stronger bones, Science alert reported.
In Belgium, among 327 children aged 4 to 6 years, researchers from the University of Hasselt found that those who lived in the greenest places had higher bone mineral density.
The greenest places are defined as those that fall in the top 20 to 25% in terms of amount of green space in the immediate vicinity. Among children who live in these areas, roughly a ten-minute walk to a green space with tall trees or shrubs is associated with an increase in bone density equivalent to half a year of natural growth.
What's more, children who lived in the greenest areas and within a 20-minute walk of high green space had a 61% lower risk of low bone density scores.
The results were consistent for both sexes, even after accounting for a host of other factors, including weight, ethnicity, daily screen time, vitamin supplements, dairy consumption, season, maternal education level, and area median annual income—all of which proven to determine a child's bone density.
"These findings highlight the importance of exposure to green spaces at an early age for bone health during critical periods of growth and development, which has long-term consequences," said Hanne Sleurs, an environmental epidemiologist at Hasselt University, and her colleagues.
The development of the human skeleton during childhood is critical as it lays a strong foundation for future bone health.
Despite the solid, inanimate appearance of our skeleton, bone is living tissue that gradually increases in density at an early age, peaking in the mid to late 20s. A balanced diet and physical activity, especially weight and resistance exercise, are important parts of creating strong, dense bones that will last as long as possible.
Green spaces can help facilitate this process.
A growing body of evidence suggests that living close to nature has impressive benefits for mental health, heart health, immune health, and vascular health.
In some parts of the world, doctors are even prescribing nature walks for their patients, along with other usual recommendations such as physical activity and a well-balanced diet.
Interestingly, however, some studies have found that the type of green space a person is surrounded by makes a difference. Access to tall vegetation such as trees appears to be most beneficial.
With all this in mind, the researchers studied how urban, suburban and rural green spaces with vegetation taller than 3 meters affected the bone density of local children.
The data they used was from a local birth survey, which tracks the health of mother-child pairs during the first four to six years of a child's life.
Most of these children were affluent and of European descent, had one or two hours of daily screen time and consumed at least one dairy product per day (an easy source of calcium).
Their home addresses were geocoded to check for green spaces.
Analyzing and comparing the data, the researchers found that high green areas within 500 meters of a child's home were associated with increased bone mineral density.
If such green space is only 100 meters away from you, however, this benefit does not increase any further.
"Thus," suggest the authors, "it is likely that our participants were more likely to walk from home to the nearest available and accessible green space (e.g., park, garden, or forest) within 500 to 1,000 meters around the dwelling."
Unfortunately, the birth cohort study did not collect detailed information on frequency and duration of outdoor exercise, so screen time was used as a proxy for sedentary behavior.
Future research will need to continue to investigate the reasons why green spaces may have benefits for bone health.
"The stronger the bone mass in childhood, the greater the capacity later in life," says epidemiologist Tim Naurot of Hasselt University.
"So the real public health message from this study is that urban planners can make children's bones stronger, and that has long-lasting consequences."/BGNES