Residential greenspace and anxiety symptoms among Australian women living in major cities: A longitudinal analysis.

Despite an increasing number of studies demonstrating the potential mental health benefits of greenspace, few longitudinal studies have been reported. We aimed to assess associations between two metrics of residential greenspace exposure and anxiety symptoms in a cohort of Australian women living in major cities. Our study comprised 3,938 women, born between 1973 and 78. Anxiety symptoms in the previous month were assessed at follow-up every three years during 2003-2018, using the anxiety subscale of the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale. The three-month seasonal average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was estimated from 30 m Landsat satellite images in a 500 m buffer (NDVI500m) around participants' address at each survey (higher NDVI indicates more green vegetation). The annual fractional cover of non-photosynthesising vegetation was estimated (fNPV500m, with higher values indicating greater levels of dead leaf litter or dry grass). A generalised estimating equation assessed associations between greenspace measures and anxiety symptoms (as odds ratios [ORs]), adjusting for repeated outcomes and individual-level covariates. Additional analyses focused on women experiencing substantial changes in between-survey exposure due to moving, and adjusting for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure, among others. A standard deviation (SD) (0.12 units) increase in NDVI500m was significantly associated with lower odds of anxiety symptoms (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99) in the adjusted model. An SD (5.2%) increase in annual fNPV500m was consistent with the direction expected for that exposure, but not significant in the adjusted model (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99-1.07). NDVI500m was modestly attenuated when air pollutants were adjusted for, while fNPV500m only became significant when PM2.5 was adjusted for. Between-survey contrasts had no clear effect for NDVI500m. Moving to a higher fNPV500m area, compared with a similar fNPV500m area, was consistently associated with anxiety symptoms (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02-1.31). NDVI500m was generally associated with lower odds of anxiety symptoms, while fNPV500m was generally associated with higher odds of anxiety, depending on the covariates considered.

Association between residential greenspace and health-related quality of life in children aged 0-12 years.

INTRODUCTION: Greenspaces generate several perceived health benefits, including an overall improvement in the quality of life. However, little is known about the effects of greenspaces through pregnancy and early childhood in promoting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among children. METHOD: Participants were from the Mothers and their Children's Health Study (MatCH), a 2016/17 sub-study of a national prospective study since 1996 known as the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Mothers (n=3,048) self-reported on their three youngest children aged under 13 years (n=5,799, mean=7.0 years, s.d=3.2 years) using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) to measure their HRQoL. Since 1996, annual exposure to green and non-green vegetation was measured using two remote sensing indicators: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and fractional cover of non-photosynthetic vegetation (fNPV), respectively, for 100 m and 500 m buffer zone around maternal residential address. Multiple exposure windows were calculated including during pregnancy, the first year of life and child's lifetime exposure. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) models, adjusting for potential confounders, were used for analyses. RESULTS: A 1 standard deviation increase in NDVI greenness within 500 m buffer around the home at early life and during childhood was positively associated with higher HRQoL in the total scores and psychological health summary scores in the crude model only. No association was found between fNPV (non-green vegetation) at 100 m and 500 m circular buffers and children's HRQoL. The overall findings from our models remained consistent based on a series of sensitivity analyses, including the impact of maternal residential mobility status and geocoding method on the effect estimates. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that surrounding residential greenspace was not associated with children's HRQoL. Further longitudinal studies are required to better understand the influence of greenspace at different periods of exposure on the health and wellbeing of children.

Residential greenspace and early childhood development and academic performance: A longitudinal analysis of Australian children aged 4-12 years.

INTRODUCTION: Exposure to greenspaces has beneficial effects on children's mental health and development. This study explores the association between residential exposure to greenspace and early childhood development and academic outcomes. METHODS: Children were from Mothers and their Children's Health (MatCH) study, a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. We obtained data on early childhood development from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), a population-wide census data (n = 936 children, mean age: 5.3, SD: 0.5 years). Academic performance relative to the national minimum standard (NMS) (i.e., in reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling, and numeracy) of children with Year 3 and 5 data were from the 'National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy' (NAPLAN) (n = 1679 children). Annual exposure to green and non-green vegetation was measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and fractional cover of non-photosynthetic vegetation (fNPV), respectively, within 100 m and 500 m buffer zone of maternal residential address. We calculated greenspace exposure at the year of test and average exposure throughout childhood. Greenspace exposures were standardised and odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using generalised estimating equation models, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Exposure to fNPV within 500 m buffer of homes at the year of test and during child's lifetime was associated with academic scores below/at NMS at Year 3 (baseline) and Year 5 (follow-up) for the domains of reading, writing, and grammar and punctuation. Surrounding residential greenness was not significantly associated with NAPLAN scores. No association was found between residential greenspace and developmental vulnerability on one or more AEDC domains across both exposure windows. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that long-term and short-term exposure to non-green vegetation around homes is linked to poor academic performance in children. Further research on fNPV is required to verify these findings, with additional longitudinal studies.

A Review of the Effects of Chronic Arsenic Exposure on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Exposure to arsenic has a number of known detrimental health effects but impact on pregnancy outcomes is not as widely recognized. This narrative review examines existing epidemiological evidence investigating the association between arsenic exposure via drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We reviewed published epidemiological studies from around the world on impact of chronic arsenic exposure on spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death, post neonatal death, low birth weight and preterm baby. Plausible mechanisms of arsenic toxicity causing adverse pregnancy outcomes were also determined through literature review. There is convincing evidence to support the association between high inorganic arsenic exposure (>50 ppb) and spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and low birth weight. Limitations of certain studies include study design, small sample size, recall constraints and exposure assessment. There needs to be further research investigating the dose metered impact of arsenic exposure on pregnancy outcomes. Further research on impact of low-moderate arsenic concentration exposure on pregnancy outcomes will allow for appropriate public health policy recommendations.