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Associations between residential greenness exposure during pregnancy and bone mineral density in early childhood
Yibing Zhu1, Linxi Tang2, Yudiyang Ma2
1Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
Insights
Exposure to residential greenness during pregnancy is linked to higher bone mineral density (BMD) in early childhood. Higher greenness (NDVI) was associated with increased BMD z-scores, suggesting benefits for offspring bone health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Health
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- The relationship between prenatal residential greenness and childhood bone mineral density (BMD) is not well-established.
- Understanding this association is crucial for public health initiatives promoting child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of residential greenness exposure during pregnancy on early childhood BMD.
- To quantify the association between greenness exposure and BMD in children aged 0-3 years.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Fujian Birth Cohort Study (2019-2021).
- Quantified residential greenness using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within a 500-m buffer.
- Assessed BMD via quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) and analyzed associations using regression models.
Main Results:
- Higher residential greenness (NDVI500m) during pregnancy was positively associated with higher BMD z-scores in early childhood.
- An interquartile range increase in NDVI500m during pregnancy correlated with a 0.04 increase in BMD z-scores.
- Greenness exposure in each trimester showed a positive association with BMD z-scores, though no significant link to low BMD risk was found.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to residential greenness is positively associated with bone mineral density in early childhood.
- Enhancing maternal access to green environments during pregnancy may promote better bone health in offspring.
- Findings highlight the importance of urban greening for child development and skeletal health.
Background:
The impact of residential greenness exposure during pregnancy on early childhood bone mineral density (BMD) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the association between residential greenness exposure during pregnancy and BMD in early childhood (0-3 years).
Methods:
Data on participants, including demographics, health status, exposures, and outcomes, were derived from the pediatric subcohort within the Fujian Birth Cohort Study, recruited from 2019 to 2021. Greenness exposure was quantified using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within 500-m buffer range. BMD was measured via quantitative ultrasonography (QUS), with low BMD defined as z-score below -1. To assess the associations of NDVI500m with BMD and low BMD, linear regression and logistic regression models were applied.
Results:
The median maternal age was 30.50 years (IQR = 5.00). We found that higher NDVI500m exposure was consistently linked to higher BMD z-scores. An IQR increase in NDVI500m during the entire pregnancy resulted in a 0.04 (95 % CI: 0.01, 0.06) increase in BMD z-scores. For the first, second, and third trimesters, each IQR increase in NDVI500m exposure led to a 0.03 (95 % CI: 0.00, 0.06), 0.04 (95 % CI: 0.00, 0.07), and 0.04 (95 % CI: 0.01, 0.07) increase in BMD z-scores, respectively. However, no significant relationship was observed between NDVI500m and low BMD risk.
Conclusions:
This study revealed a positive association of residential greenness exposure across the entire pregnancy and all trimesters with BMD in early childhood. These findings underscore the potential benefits of enhancing maternal access to greenness during pregnancy for improving offspring bone health.
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