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Urban environment and cognitive and motor function in children from four European birth cohorts
Binter, Anne-Claire Bernard, Jonathan Y. Mon-Williams, Mark Andiarena, Ainara González-Safont, Llúcia Vafeiadi, Marina Lepeule, Johanna Soler-Blasco, Raquel Alonso, Lucia Kampouri, Mariza
Binter, Anne-Claire
Bernard, Jonathan Y.
Mon-Williams, Mark
Andiarena, Ainara
González-Safont, Llúcia
Vafeiadi, Marina
Lepeule, Johanna
Soler-Blasco, Raquel
Alonso, Lucia
Kampouri, Mariza
Author
Binter, Anne-Claire
Bernard, Jonathan Y.
Mon-Williams, Mark
Andiarena, Ainara
González-Safont, Llúcia
Vafeiadi, Marina
Lepeule, Johanna
Soler-Blasco, Raquel
Alonso, Lucia
Kampouri, Mariza
Mceachan, Rosie
Santa-Marina, Loreto
Wright, John
Chatzi, Leda
Sunyer, Jordi
Philippat, Claire
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark
Vrijheid, Martine
Guxens, Mònica
Bernard, Jonathan Y.
Mon-Williams, Mark
Andiarena, Ainara
González-Safont, Llúcia
Vafeiadi, Marina
Lepeule, Johanna
Soler-Blasco, Raquel
Alonso, Lucia
Kampouri, Mariza
Mceachan, Rosie
Santa-Marina, Loreto
Wright, John
Chatzi, Leda
Sunyer, Jordi
Philippat, Claire
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark
Vrijheid, Martine
Guxens, Mònica
Abstract
Background
The urban environment may influence neurodevelopment from conception onwards, but there is no evaluation of the impact of multiple groups of exposures simultaneously. We investigated the association between early-life urban environment and cognitive and motor function in children.
Methods
We used data from 5403 mother–child pairs from four population-based birth-cohorts (UK, France, Spain, and Greece). We estimated thirteen urban home exposures during pregnancy and childhood, including: built environment, natural spaces, and air pollution. Verbal, non-verbal, gross motor, and fine motor functions were assessed using validated tests at five years old. We ran adjusted multi-exposure models using the Deletion-Substitution-Addition algorithm.
Results
Higher greenness exposure within 300 m during pregnancy was associated with higher verbal abilities (1.5 points (95% confidence interval 0.4, 2.7) per 0.20 unit increase in greenness). Higher connectivity density within 100 m and land use diversity during pregnancy were related to lower verbal abilities. Childhood exposure to PM2.5 mediated 74% of the association between greenness during childhood and verbal abilities. Higher exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy was related to lower fine motor function (-1.2 points (-2.1, -0.4) per 3.2 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5). No associations were found with non-verbal abilities and gross motor function.
Discussion
This study suggests that built environment, greenness, and air pollution may impact child cognitive and motor function at five years old. This study adds evidence that well-designed urban planning may benefit children’s cognitive and motor development.
Keywords
urban environment, cognitive function, motor function, cohort, children
Date
2022
Type
Journal article
Journal
Book
Volume
158
Issue
Page Range
1-12
Article Number
Article 106933
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open