Cross-sectional evaluation of the association between greenness and cognitive performance in Mexican pre-pubertal boys

Evidence shows that greenspace exposure benefits children's health and cognitive development. However, evidence assessing this association in young children in low- and middle-income economies is scarce. To assess the association between exposure to greenness and cognitive performance in pre-pubertal boys living in Mexico City. Cross-sectional study using data from 144 boys aged 6–11 years living in Mexico City in 2017 and enrolled in the “MetCog” study. Cognitive performance was evaluated through selected Wechsler Scale for Intelligence in Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Neuropsychological Assessment of Children (Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil, ENI) tests. Exposure to greenness was assessed through Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 300, 500, 1500, 2000, and 3000 m buffer zones from children's residences. Multiple linear regression analysis was undertaken to assess associations between cognitive performance and greenness (aβ) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and adjusted for potential confounding variables. Significance was set at q