URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) — A new review from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that time spent in natural environments may do more to boost the mental and psychological health of disadvantaged children than it does for their more advantaged peers, and that investing in green school yards could be one of the most cost-effective interventions available.

The concept is known as equigenesis, a term coined in 2013 to describe the way physical environments, particularly greenspace, can foster health equity. The idea holds that people living with disadvantage (measured by factors like income, parental education, and minority status) may benefit more from natural settings than those without such barriers.

U of I researchers Keira Denker and Andrea Faber Taylor reviewed 123 studies examining greenspace and health outcomes across all ages. Nearly 60 percent provided evidence of equigenesis. A deeper look at 24 studies focused specifically on children found that half clearly demonstrated greater psychological benefits for disadvantaged youth, including lower anxiety, fewer behavioral difficulties, and improved cognitive functioning, reading, and math skills.

“That doesn’t mean advantaged groups don’t also benefit,” said Faber Taylor, a teaching associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences. “But there may be a ceiling effect; they already have the support needed and thus demonstrate less of a boost from time in greenspace in contrast to those living with disadvantage.” 

The researchers say school yards represent a particularly promising opportunity, since nearly all children attend school and would be guaranteed exposure to that greenspace.

“If you think about all the benefits of greenspace and the potential cost offsets for medical treatments or behavioral interventions, it’s crazy not to just invest in more trees and other forms of greenspace,” Faber Taylor said.

The study is published in Frontiers in Psychology.