如今，科技似乎在孩子的生活中占据越来越大的份额，让他们走出去呼吸新鲜空气可能是许多家长的首要任务。现在，最近的一项研究发现，在大自然中成长对年轻人的发展可能更为重要。丹麦的研究人员说，在周围有大量绿地的环境中长大的孩子患注意力缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)的可能性较小。
Their report, the largest of its kind to date, reveals the amount of green space surrounding a child’s home influences their chances of suffering from the disorder. ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric conditions among children and can affect them in different ways.
他们的报告是迄今为止同类报告中规模最大的一份，揭示了孩子家周围的绿地数量影响他们患上这种疾病的几率。多动症是儿童中最常见的精神疾病之一，可以以不同的方式影响他们。
The reason behind who develops ADHD, which can cause increased levels of hyperactive or impulsive behavior, is still not fully clear to doctors. Study authors decided to examine how environmental areas around where children and teenagers live affects their risk of receiving an ADHD diagnosis.
多动症会导致过度活跃或冲动行为的增加，医生们还不完全清楚这背后的原因。研究人员决定调查儿童和青少年生活的周围环境如何影响他们得到多动症诊断的风险。
“Our findings show that children who have been exposed to less green surroundings in their residential area in early childhood, which we define as lasting up until age five, have an increased risk of receiving an ADHD diagnosis when compared to children who have been surrounded by the highest level of green space,” explains doctoral student Malene Thygesen from Aarhus University in a media release.
“我们的研究结果表明，那些在幼儿时期就暴露在较少绿色环境中的儿童，我们定义为一直持续到5岁的儿童，与那些被最高水平的绿色环境包围的儿童相比，患多动症的风险增加,”来自教授的博士生奥胡斯大学的马琳 · 蒂格森在一份媒体稿中解释说。
Nature can have a powerful impact on mental health
大自然可以对心理健康产生强大的影响
Experts believe ADHD may be a hereditary condition, but other factors also can play a role in its development. For this reason, there are strong arguments for research into the causes of children developing these behavioral changes. Previous studies have discovered a link between children’s mental well-being and cognitive development and their access to green spaces.
专家认为，多动症可能是一种遗传性疾病，但其他因素也可能在其发展过程中发挥作用。基于这个原因，有强有力的论据支持研究儿童发展这些行为变化的原因。先前的研究发现，儿童的心理健康和认知发展、以及他们进入绿地的机会之间存在联系。
“In the study we adjusted for gender, age, the child’s year of birth, and the parents’ psychiatric diagnosis and socio-economic status, and neighborhood level socio-economic status,” Thygesen says. “Our study is strong because it includes many individuals and because the information is very detailed. For example, we use data based on clinical diagnoses of ADHD made by specialists.”
“在这项研究中，我们调整了性别、年龄、孩子的出生年份、父母的精神病诊断和社会经济状况，以及社区层面的社会经济状况，”蒂格森说，“我们的研究是强有力的，因为它包括人数众多、而且信息非常详细。例如，我们使用的数据是基于专家对多动症的临床诊断。”
“It’s interesting to think that living in green environments may be a protective factor for children in relation to the risk of developing ADHD,” the lead researcher continues.
“有意思的是，生活在绿色环境中可能是儿童发展多动症风险的一个保护因素。”首席研究员继续说。
Although study authors discovered an apparent connection between green spaces and ADHD, they admit a single study does not provide concrete evidence yet. However, the team notes their results are still in line with other studies on the environment’s role in ADHD risk.
尽管研究人员发现了绿色空间和多动症之间的明显联系，但他们承认这项研究还没有提供具体的证据。然而，研究小组指出，他们的研究结果仍然与环境在多动症风险中的作用的同类研究结果一致。
The findings appear in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
研究结果发表在《环境健康展望》杂志上。
