@article{8571669,
  abstract     = {Background: The effects of residential landscape, i.e., land use and traffic, on psychosocial stress in children are unknown, even though childhood stress might negatively affect normal development. In a longitudinal study, we investigate whether the residential landscape predicts childhood psychosocial stress and whether associations are independent of noise and air pollution. 
Methods: Belgian children aged 6.7-12.2 (N = 172, 50.9\% boys) were followed for three years (2012-2015). Information on stress was obtained using standardized behavioral and emotional questionnaires and by a measure of hair cortisol. Residential landscape, including natural, agricultural, industrial, residential areas, and traffic, in a 100-m to 5-km radius around each child's home was characterized. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between psychosocial stress and the residential landscape were studied using linear regression and mixed models, while adjusting for age, sex, and parental socioeconomic status. 
Results: Natural landscapes were positively associated with better emotional status (increased happiness and lower sadness, anxiousness, and total negative emotions, beta = 0.14-0.17, 95\% CI = 0.01-0.30). Similarly, we observed an inverse association between residential and traffic density with hyperactivity problems (beta = 0.13-0.18, 95\% CI = 0.01-0.34). In longitudinal analyses, industrial area was a predictor of increases in negative emotions, while a natural landscape was for increases in happiness. Only the effect of natural landscape was partly explained by residential noise. 
Conclusion: Residential greenness in proximity to a child's residence might result in a better childhood emotional status, whereas poorer emotional status and behavioral problems (hyperactivity problems) were seen with residential and industrial areas and increased traffic density in proximity to a child's home.},
  author       = {van Aart, Carola and Michels, Nathalie and Sioen, Isabelle and De Decker, Annelies and Bijnens, Esmee M and Janssen, Bram G and De Henauw, Stefaan and Nawrot, Tim S},
  issn         = {0160-4120},
  journal      = {ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL},
  language     = {eng},
  pages        = {456--463},
  title        = {Residential landscape as a predictor of psychosocial stress in the life course from childhood to adolescence},
  url          = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.08.028},
  volume       = {120},
  year         = {2018},
}

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