Study: Exposure to green space improves memory

Children playing in nature.
Photo credit jacoblund/Getty Images

KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. 

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Henry David Thoreau may have been ahead of his time when it came to health and memory. Research finds that thinking skills improve more in children with regular exposure to green space. 

It was interesting research: Scientists used satellite data to analyze how much nature surrounded them on a daily basis, and every three months, the students completed tests of memory and attention. 

At the end of a year, kids who spent more time around plants and trees improved their memories and displayed better focus than those exposed to fewer green spaces.