In a recent study, researchers looked into the contribution that blue spaces, such as lakes, rivers, and coastal areas, make to children's wellbeing and how it affects them as adults.
Survey on Blue Space Exposure Experiences
The BlueHealth International Survey (BIS), a cross-sectional survey organized by the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, collected data from 15,743 participants for the study. The participants were drawn from four non-European nations: Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, and California, as well as 14 different European nations.
Between the ages of 0 and 16, respondents were asked to recall their experiences in blue spaces, including how frequently they went there, how close they lived to them, and how comfortable their parents or guardians were with them going swimming and playing there. In addition, they were asked to rate their mental health over the previous two weeks and the amount of time they had spent recently in green and blue spaces over the previous four weeks.
The study's findings, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, showed that people who remembered more blue space experiences as children tended to value nature more intrinsically and to visit it more frequently as adults. The values and actions were linked to better mental health as adults.
Children Benefit from Blue Space Exposure
According to Earth.com, the authors come to the conclusion that developing comfort and confidence in blue spaces during childhood may encourage a love of nature and a greater propensity to spend leisure time in it in adulthood, with favorable effects on adult subjective well-being.
In the context of an increasingly technological and industrialized society, Valeria Vitale, the lead author and a PhD student at Sapienza University of Rome, noted that it is essential to understand how early experiences with nature are linked to well-being in later life.
On the other hand, Dr. Mathew White, a co-author and senior scientist at the University of Vienna, stated that the study is adding to our growing understanding of the need for local governments and organizations in charge of managing our green and blue spaces to provide safe, accessible access to natural settings for our children's healthy mental and physical development.
He continued that the findings are supported by longitudinal research that tracks people's exposures over the course of their lives. Then further work, policies, and initiatives encouraging more blue space experiences during childhood may be a viable way to support the mental health of future generations.
Blue Space and Green Space Advantages
According to Childhood by Nature, one of the most widely publicized advantages of green space for youngsters is the reduction of symptoms in children with ADHD. The same holds true for blue space. In one study, researchers investigated the relationship between children's exposure to green (vegetated) and blue (beach) environments and behavioral development markers and ADHD symptoms. It was discovered that enhanced prosocial conduct and lower overall challenges and peer interaction issues were both related to increasing beach attendance each year.
Like green space, blue space can help kids develop a stronger connection to nature or a greater knowledge of the environment. Blue spaces are just healthier due to the cleaner air and greater sunlight they provide. Aside from participating in water activities, residents of coastal areas are also more likely to walk and bike.
Most of us find that gazing at the ocean or rippling water is comforting. Researchers have several theories about it. According to some studies, water's gentle visual cues or the patterns of light reflecting off it as it runs can keep our attention without any conscious effort and provide relief from cognitive tiredness. The calming benefits of nature, according to the Attention Restoration Theory, offer our brains a breather and provide us and the children a chance to focus.
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