Scientists have learned what affects IQ in childhood

Certainly, childhood greatly affects the development of a person, his habits, inclinations and behavior. According to a new study conducted in Belgium, children who grew up in more environmentally friendly conditions have a higher IQ.

Scientists from the University of Hasselt invited more than 600 children aged 10 to 15 from different countries to study. districts and found that there is a direct correlation between IQ and the environment in which a child grows up. Just a three percent increase in the area's greenery can increase a child's IQ by an average of 2.6 points.

Such a regularity was found in children of completely different socio-economic strata of society. This suggests that cognitive development depends not only on the upbringing of the child and his material situation.

Currently, scientists cannot fully understand the reason for this correlation, but the research team found that children who live in greener areas have lower levels of stress, experience less noise pollution and have more opportunities to play with peers. “Our results show that green spaces in residential areas can be beneficial for the intellectual and behavioral development of children living in the city. These findings should be taken into account by urban planners and authorities to create optimal conditions for children.”

Earlier, scientists have already dealt with this issue and noticed a connection between cognitive development and the environment, but in the new work, researchers measured indicators for the first time. IQ and compared them with the evil spaces of the city.

In the course of their work, scientists found that the average IQ of the participants was 105. 4% of children whose index was below 80 grew up in areas with a low level of greenery. In addition to the fact that green neighborhoods had a better effect on mental abilities, scientists also noticed that every additional 3% of the area of ​​parks and plants reduced behavioral problems.

The authors of the work emphasize that in 1950, less than a third of the world's population lived in urban areas, and now more than half of the world's population lives in cities. This figure is projected to increase to 68% by 2050. That is why it is so important to pay more attention to the health of people living in megacities.