Benefits of natural habitat particularly woodland on children's cognition and mental health

Life in urban areas is associated with adverse human health effects, including risks of developing cognitive problems and mental health issues. Many epidemiological studies have established associations between urban nature, cognitive development and mental health, but why specifically we receive these health benefits remains unclear, especially in children. Here, we used longitudinal data in a cohort of 3,568 children aged 9 to 15 years at 31 schools across London to develop a model and examine the associations between natural habitat type, and childrens cognitive development and mental health. We show that, after adjusting for other environmental, demographic and socioeconomic variables, higher daily exposure rates to natural habitat and particularly woodland were associated with enhanced cognitive development and mental health from late childhood to early adolescence. Our results suggest that optimising ecosystem services linked to cognitive development and mental health benefits should prioritise the type of natural habitat for sustainable urban planning decisions.