To assess the associations between prenatal green space exposure and specific mental health outcomes in adolescence, including externalizing problems, internalizing problems, tobacco use, and alcohol use, and to evaluate the mediation effects of gestational age and birth weight.
Key Findings:
Increased prenatal green space exposure was associated with more externalizing problems (0.119 SD increase per 1 SD unit of exposure), but this association became non-significant when controlling for urbanicity, suggesting urban factors may influence results.
No mediation effects were observed for gestational age or birth weight in the association between prenatal green space exposure and mental health.
Interpretation:
The findings suggest that prenatal exposure to green space does not confer mental health benefits in adolescence, and instead, increased green space exposure during childhood may be more beneficial, highlighting the need for further investigation into the timing of exposure.
Limitations:
The study relied on self-reported data, which may introduce bias due to subjective perceptions of mental health.
The analysis did not account for changes in green space exposure during childhood, which could impact the results.
Conclusion:
Prenatal exposure to green space does not appear to positively influence adolescent mental health, highlighting the importance of childhood green space exposure for mental well-being.
