Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Environ Res. 2022 Sep;212(Pt B):113256. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113256. Epub 2022 Apr 6.
Evolving evidence suggests that vegetation surrounding schools is beneficial to children's academic performance, however vehicle emissions are adversely related. Little is known about concurrent impacts of vegetation and vehicle emissions on academic performance. This study examined associations of vegetation and vehicle emissions near urban Australian primary schools with children's academic performance.
Vegetation within schoolyards and Euclidean buffers (100, 300 and 1000 m) was assessed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Weighted road density (WRD) was computed for each buffer as a vehicle emissions proxy. Cross-sectional associations and mediating pathways between vegetation and vehicle emissions and standardized average academic scores in Literacy (Reading, Writing, Language Conventions) and Mathematics for Grades 3 and 5 attending 3745 primary schools in urban areas (population ≥10,000) of Australia in 2018 were assessed using generalised linear models adjusted for school socio-educational status.
Significant positive associations were found between vegetation and Reading in Grades 3 and 5, Mathematics in Grade 3 (all buffers), Writing in Grade 3 (100 and 300 m), and Language Conventions in Grades 3 and 5 (most buffers). Increased vehicle emissions were negatively associated with Reading and Mathematics in Grades 3 and 5 (most buffers), and Language Conventions in Grade 3 (300 and 1000 m) and Grade 5 (100-1000 m). Within 300 m, vehicle emissions partially mediated associations between vegetation with Mathematics in Grade 3 (proportion mediated, 21%), Reading and Language Conventions in Grade 5 (15%, 37% respectively).
Our findings contribute to growing evidence that vegetation around primary schools is associated with higher achievement in Literacy and Mathematics, with partial mediation by vehicle emissions. Future studies should conduct on-site measurement of vehicle emissions and audit vegetation around schools to confirm findings and inform urban/school planners and school leaders on designing and modifying school environments to support learning.
不断发展的证据表明，学校周围的植被有益于儿童的学习成绩，但车辆排放物却对其产生不利影响。关于植被和车辆排放物对学习成绩的同时影响，我们知之甚少。本研究调查了澳大利亚城市小学周围的植被和车辆排放物与儿童学习成绩之间的关联。
使用归一化差异植被指数（NDVI）评估了校园内和欧几里得缓冲区（100、300 和 1000 米）的植被。为每个缓冲区计算了加权道路密度（WRD）作为车辆排放物的代理。2018 年，对澳大利亚城市地区（人口≥10000 人）3745 所小学的 3 年级和 5 年级学生的标准化平均学业成绩（读写、写作、语言规范）和数学成绩进行了横断面关联和介导途径分析，使用广义线性模型进行了调整，以考虑学校的社会教育地位。
在 3 年级和 5 年级的阅读、3 年级的数学（所有缓冲区）、3 年级和 5 年级的写作（100 米和 300 米缓冲区）以及 3 年级和 5 年级的语言规范（大多数缓冲区）中，植被与成绩呈显著正相关。车辆排放物的增加与 3 年级和 5 年级的阅读和数学成绩（大多数缓冲区）以及 3 年级和 5 年级的语言规范成绩（300 米和 1000 米缓冲区）和 5 年级（100-1000 米缓冲区）呈负相关。在 300 米缓冲区范围内，车辆排放物部分介导了植被与 3 年级数学之间的关联（中介比例，21%）以及 5 年级阅读和语言规范之间的关联（15%、37%）。
我们的研究结果为越来越多的证据提供了补充，即小学周围的植被与读写和数学成绩的提高有关，而车辆排放物起到了部分介导作用。未来的研究应在现场测量车辆排放物，并对学校周围的植被进行审核，以确认研究结果，并为城市/学校规划者和学校领导者提供设计和修改学校环境以支持学习的建议。
