A study has revealed that children who live close to green spaces have better bone strength in comparison to those who do not. This was revealed as researchers explored the connection between early-life exposure to residential green spaces and changes in bone mineral density among young children.

The study was conducted as part of the Environmental Influence on Ageing in Early Life (ENVIRONAGE) birth cohort in Belgium and focussed on 327 children aged four to six in a region of Flanders, Belgium&nbsp;to analyse bone strength.

The research utilised rigorous methods, including quantitative ultrasonography to assess bone mineral density.

It revealed that bone mineral density increased with the child's age and height but not much with other factors such as sex, weight, screen time, ethnicity, vitamin intake, dairy consumption, maternal education level, or neighbourhood income.

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One of the key findings indicated a positive association between residential green space exposure and bone mineral density.&nbsp;The risk of having low bone mineral density was inversely related to green space exposure.

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The findings indicated that children residing within 1,000 metres of their homes, where there was a 25 per cent increase in green space, experienced a 66 per cent reduction in the likelihood of having extremely low bone density.

Gender differences were not observed among the participants in the study.

“The stronger the bone mass is during childhood, the more capacity you have for later in life,” Hasselt University Prof Tim Nawrot reportedly said.

“So the real public health message from this study is that urban planners can make stronger bones of children, and that has long-lasting consequences,"&nbsp;Nawrot added.&nbsp;

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Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, even after adjusting for factors like screen time, dairy consumption, season, vitamin supplementation, and neighbourhood income.

The study's implications extend beyond mere correlations and show the potential of green spaces to positively influence childhood bone health.

As bone mass accumulation in early life significantly impacts lifelong bone strength and fracture risk, understanding the role of environmental factors, such as green spaces, becomes crucial in preventing osteoporosis later in life. However, further research is warranted into the study.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A study has revealed that children who live close to green spaces have better bone strength in comparison to those who do not. This was revealed as researchers explored the connection between early-life exposure to residential green spaces and changes in bone mineral density among young children.

A study has revealed that children who live close to green spaces have better bone strength in comparison to those who do not. This was revealed as researchers explored the connection between early-life exposure to residential green spaces and changes in bone mineral density among young children. The study was conducted as part of the Environmental Influence on Ageing in Early Life (ENVIRONAGE) birth cohort in Belgium and focussed on 327 children aged four to six in a region of Flanders, Belgium to analyse bone strength. The research utilised rigorous methods, including quantitative ultrasonography to assess bone mineral density. It revealed that bone mineral density increased with the child's age and height but not much with other factors such as sex, weight, screen time, ethnicity, vitamin intake, dairy consumption, maternal education level, or neighbourhood income. Also Read | OSIRIS-REx makes progress: NASA unlocks fasteners, gets access to Bennu asteroid sample One of the key findings indicated a positive association between residential green space exposure and bone mineral density. The risk of having low bone mineral density was inversely related to green space exposure. Also Read | Game changer! X-59 'quiet' supersonic aircraft unveiled by NASA, Lockheed Martin The findings indicated that children residing within 1,000 metres of their homes, where there was a 25 per cent increase in green space, experienced a 66 per cent reduction in the likelihood of having extremely low bone density. Gender differences were not observed among the participants in the study. “The stronger the bone mass is during childhood, the more capacity you have for later in life,” Hasselt University Prof Tim Nawrot reportedly said. “So the real public health message from this study is that urban planners can make stronger bones of children, and that has long-lasting consequences," Nawrot added. WATCH | More Children are perpetrating sexual abuse than adults × Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, even after adjusting for factors like screen time, dairy consumption, season, vitamin supplementation, and neighbourhood income. The study's implications extend beyond mere correlations and show the potential of green spaces to positively influence childhood bone health. As bone mass accumulation in early life significantly impacts lifelong bone strength and fracture risk, understanding the role of environmental factors, such as green spaces, becomes crucial in preventing osteoporosis later in life. However, further research is warranted into the study. (With inputs from agencies)

Living near green spaces boosts bone strength in children. Find out why

Astronauts undergo rigorous training before travelling to space, but no amount of preparation can make them ready for the toll that the entire experience takes on their health. Researchers have found that astronauts lose a huge amount of bone mass when travelling in space and it takes more than a year for them to recover it after coming back from their missions. Dr Steven Boyd, of Canada’s University of Calgary and director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, also warned that the rate of bone mass loss can be a problematic for future missions to Mars due to the duration.

“Will it continue to get worse over time or not? We don’t know,"

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“It’s possible we hit a steady state after a while, or it’s possible that we continue to lose bone. But I can’t imagine that we’d continue to lose it until there’s nothing left,” Boyd told The Guardian.

The research scanned the wrists and ankles of astronauts during and after a stay at the International Space Station (ISS) and found that they lost around 1 to 2 per cent of bone density every month.

That is basically the same amount of bone density that people lose in almost decades. &nbsp;

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“The longer you spend in space, the more bone you lose,” Boyd said.

Guillemette Gauquelin-Koch, the head of medicine research at France’s CNES space agency, explained that the weightlessness experienced in space is the reason behind the loss of bone density.

“Even with two hours of sport a day, it is like you are bedridden for the other 22 hours. It will not be easy for the crew to set foot on Martian soil when they arrive – it’s very disabling.”

Astronauts undergo rigorous training before travelling to space, but no amount of preparation can make them ready for the toll that the entire experience takes on their health.

Astronauts undergo rigorous training before travelling to space, but no amount of preparation can make them ready for the toll that the entire experience takes on their health. Researchers have found that astronauts lose a huge amount of bone mass when travelling in space and it takes more than a year for them to recover it after coming back from their missions. Dr Steven Boyd, of Canada’s University of Calgary and director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, also warned that the rate of bone mass loss can be a problematic for future missions to Mars due to the duration. “Will it continue to get worse over time or not? We don’t know," Also read | NASA looking to come up with tiny swimming robots to search for alien life “It’s possible we hit a steady state after a while, or it’s possible that we continue to lose bone. But I can’t imagine that we’d continue to lose it until there’s nothing left,” Boyd told The Guardian. The research scanned the wrists and ankles of astronauts during and after a stay at the International Space Station (ISS) and found that they lost around 1 to 2 per cent of bone density every month. That is basically the same amount of bone density that people lose in almost decades. Also read | World's biggest chocolate plant contaminated with Salmonella in production lot “The longer you spend in space, the more bone you lose,” Boyd said. Guillemette Gauquelin-Koch, the head of medicine research at France’s CNES space agency, explained that the weightlessness experienced in space is the reason behind the loss of bone density. “Even with two hours of sport a day, it is like you are bedridden for the other 22 hours. It will not be easy for the crew to set foot on Martian soil when they arrive – it’s very disabling.”

Astronauts lose shocking amount of bone mass in space, study finds

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