Living closer to the beach is associated with better socioemotional development in young boys

Natural outdoor environments such as green and blue spaces have increasingly been seen as key health and wellbeing determinants for adults. However, it is unclear if these effects are seen in young children. We examined the associations between access to natural green and blue space and young children's socioemotional development.

Citation:
George P, Murray K, Boruff B, Christian H. Living closer to the beach is associated with better socioemotional development in young boys. J Environ Psychol. 2025;101.

Keywords:
Blue space; Built environment; Child development; Child health; Greenspace; Vegetation

Abstract:
Natural outdoor environments such as green and blue spaces have increasingly been seen as key health and wellbeing determinants for adults. However, it is unclear if these effects are seen in young children. We examined the associations between access to natural green and blue space and young children's socioemotional development.