Natural Environment As a Potential Protective Target for Intervention: Implications for Preschool Children's Socio-Emotional Functioning

Introduction: Nature exposure has been found to promote health and well-being in many studies; however, little research has examined the potential for natural elements near key settings (e.g., schools) to support children’s socio-emotional and behavioral competencies. Furthermore, experimental research regarding greening interventions is limited by the cost and feasibility of installing mature trees. Therefore, this study sought to leverage a naturally occurring change in preschoolers’ exposure to nature by exploring the extent to which their socio-emotional competencies improved in relation to the presence of natural elements in a new key setting – preschool.

 

Methods: Socio-emotional and behavioral data were collected in the context of a broader evaluation for a county-wide preschool program in Charlotte, North Carolina. Publicly available data on neighborhood-level nature exposure (i.e., tree canopy and park access) and built environment (i.e., impervious surface; manmade materials that water cannot pass through) were matched to school and home settings for each student. Multilevel modeling analyses controlled for the interdependence between students who lived in the same neighborhood and attended the same school.

 

Results:  Greater levels of home and school neighborhood tree canopy predicted greater improvements in preschoolers’ emotional and behavioral regulation. Children tended to improve the most in emotional and behavioral regulation when they were exposed to high levels of tree canopy either at home or school, suggesting that the school environment may have the potential to compensate for low levels of nature exposure in home environments. Additionally, children’s ability to think and act independently and build healthy relationships tended to improve more in school neighborhoods with less impervious surface; those competencies improved least among children living in neighborhoods low in impervious surface and attending schools in neighborhoods high in impervious surface. Results also suggested that nature exposure may be most strongly related to socio-emotional and behavioral benefits in the spring compared to fall.

 

Conclusions: Nature exposure may be a protective factor for children’s development of socio-emotional and behavioral competencies. Results suggest that greening interventions in school and home neighborhoods could potentially benefit children; however, more research is needed. This study is limited in the degree to which it can draw causal conclusions, particularly because there may be selection issues (e.g., parents who value nature may choose to live in greener neighborhoods). Future research should prioritize experimentally testing extensive greening interventions (e.g., mature trees) and explore seasonal effects and mechanisms through interdisciplinary efforts linking nature exposure, biological markers, and air quality.