C&NN's Research Digest
  ARCHIVE                                                                                                          JANUARY 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
Creativity
>Nature imagery promotes creativity
Education
>Students more interested in nature than iPads during outdoor activity
Environmental Concern
>Promoting parents' concern for environment can promote children's concern as well
>A new relationship with nature could more effectively address the biodiversity crisis
>Family, school and peers influence the environmental attitudes of adolescents
Families
Mental Health
>Spirituality is associated with children's and adolescents' well-being
>Connectedness to nature aspect of spirituality declines as children age
Physical Health
>Children eat more fruits and vegetables after participating in a garden-based program
>Pilot study using nature-related activities to address obesity offers support for more rigorous research
Physical Activity
>As they get older, children are less physically active and spend less time in parks and places most conducive to physical activity
Play
>For preschoolers, greater social play predicts greater mental and emotional involvement
Research Strategies
>Wearable cameras engage young children as active researchers
Social Justice
>Urban planning could counteract some inequalities faced by marginalized groups
Spirituality
>Spirituality is associated with children's and adolescents' well-being
>The connectedness to nature aspect of spirituality declines markedly as children age
Urban Environments
>People of different age groups prefer different features in their physical environment
>Urban planning could counteract some inequalities faced by marginalized groups

The 2017 Children & Nature International
Conference 
will feature a track 
on advancing the evidence base for children and nature.    

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Looking forward to a great year!

In September of last year, we were thrilled to launch this Research Digest to alert you to additions to our new and improved Research Library. In this issue, w e're excited to share peer-reviewed articles curated in January - and we have a small request of you. 

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Thanks in advance,
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Consulting Research Director 
Children & Nature Network
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Child take off leather shoes. Close up child s foot learns to walk on grass reflexology massage. Kid relax in garden. Shallow depth of field  dof  selective focus. Retro style.
 
[ Creativity ]
Nature imagery J1promotes creativity
High school students viewing nature imagery performed more creatively than students viewing an urban environment. Creativity scores were the highest for participants exposed to scenery rich in both unpredictability and spaciousness. | van Rompay & Jol, 2016. Wild and free: Unpredictability and spaciousness as predictors of creative performance    Access Study
  [ Education ]
Students were more J2interested in nature than in iPads during an outdoor activity
This study indicates that technology can be integrated successfully in outdoor environmental education programs without detracting from engagement with nature. | Kacoroski, Liddicoat & Kerlin, 2016. Children's use of iPads in outdoor environmental education programs     Access Study
 [ Environmental Concern ]
Promoting parents' J3Jconcern for the environment can promote children's concern as well
Data from over 70,000 children (aged 15) and their parents from 16 different countries indicates that parents' environmental concern predicts children's concern for the environment. | 
Casalo & Escario, 2016. Intergenerational association of environmental concern: Evidence of parents' and children's concern      Access Study
A new relationship J4with nature could more effectively address the biodiversity crisis
This essay addresses two interrelated concerns: the "extinction of nature experience" and the ever-increasing loss of biodiversity. The authors call for a re-examination of the way we think about nature and the human experience of nature as a more effective way to promote concern for the environment. |  Clayton et al. 2016. Transformation of experience: Toward a new relationship with nature      Access Study
Family, school and peers J5influence the environmental attitudes of adolescents
Survey responses from over 72,000 students in the European Union indicate that social group interactions influence the environmental attitudes of adolescents. | Duarte, Escario & Sanagustin, 2017. The influence of the family, the school, and the group on the environmental attitudes of European students    Access Study
 [ Families ]
Family camping fam1fosters personal and social development 
Parents and children participating in a communal family camping program report stronger family bonds, spirituality, confidence, and connections with nature. | Jirasek, Roberson & Jiraskova, 2017. The impact of families camping together: Opportunities for personal and social development    Access Study
 [ Mental Health ]
Spirituality is MH1associated with children's and adolescents' well-being
A survey completed by over 1400 children and youth included assessments of happiness, life satisfaction, spirituality, and religiosity. Spirituality, as measured by the nature domain of spirituality, was a strong predictor of children's life satisfaction and a moderate predictor of adolescents' happiness and life satisfaction. | Holder et al. 2016. Well-being's relation to religiosity and spirituality in children and adolescents in Zambia   Access Study
The connectedness MH2to nature aspect of spirituality declines markedly as children age
Over 18,000 adolescents in Canada were asked about the "connectedness" aspect of their spiritual health, including their connectedness to the natural world. Findings indicated that adolescents with high connectedness scores were less likely to suffer negative psychosomatic symptoms and more likely to report high life satisfaction. Findings also indicated that there was a significant decline by age in the percentages of participants who felt that connections to nature were important. | Michaelson et al. 2016. Canadian children and spiritual health: Foundations for spiritual care   Access Study
 [ Physical Health ]
Children eat more PH1fruits & vegetables after participating in garden-based programs
This review of the literature examined studies from four different countries and found garden intervention programs effective in increasing children's fruit and vegetable intake. |  Savoie-Roskos, Wengreen  & Durward, 2016. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake among children and youth through gardening-based interventions: A systematic review        Access Study
Pilot study using PH2nature-related activities to address obesity offers support for more rigorous research
This study evaluated an obesity prevention program promoting healthy dietary habits and playtime routines through "connectedness to nature" experiences. Results confirm the effectiveness of the program's design protocols, evaluation instruments, and logistics. |  Sobko et al. 2016. Promoting healthy eating and active playtime by connecting to nature families with preschool children. Evaluation of pilot study "Play&Grow"    Access Study
 [ Physical Activity ]
As they get older, PA1children are less physically active and spend less time in parks and other places most conducive to physical activity
This study examined changes over a two-year period in places where children are active and the amount of time they engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Results showed decreased activity levels and less time in places conducive to physical activity. |  Perry et al. 2016. Places where children are active: A longitudinal examination of children's physical activity
 [ Play ]
For preschoolers, Play1greater social play predicts greater mental and emotional involvement
This study examined the relationship between type of social play and involvement on the part of preschool children in the outdoor school environment. Findings support the development of outdoor playspaces offering both access to a natural environment and multiple opportunities for play. | 
Miranda et al. 2016. Preschool children's social play and involvement in the outdoor environment
 [ Research Strategies ]
Wearable cameras research1engage young children as active researchers
This report describes a participatory research study in which preschool children recorded their own outdoor experiences by using wearable cameras. This research method allowed for deeper and more authentic insights into how children see, interpret, and interact with their environments. |  Green, 2016. Sensory tours as a method for engaging children as active researchers: Exploring the use of wearable cameras in early childhood research   Access Study
 [ Social Justice  ]
Urban planning regulations SJ1could counteract some inequalities faced by marginalized groups
Marginalized groups in Shanghai have better access to parks than the general population due, in part, to a green space planning strategy emphasizing an even distribution of urban green space. |  Xiao et al. 2017. An assessment of urban park access in Shanghai - Implications for the social equity in urban China    Access Study
 [ Spirituality  ]
Spirituality is Spirit1associated with children's and adolescents' well-being
A survey completed by over 1400 children and youth included assessments of happiness, life satisfaction, spirituality and religiosity. Spirituality, as measured by the nature domain of spirituality, was a strong predictor of children's life satisfaction and a moderate predictor of adolescents' happiness and life satisfaction. |  Holder et al. 2016. Well-being's relation to religiosity and spirituality in children and adolescents in Zambia     Access Study
The connectedness to Spirit2nature aspect of spirituality declines markedly as children age
Over 18,000 adolescents in Canada were asked about the "connectedness" aspect of their spiritual health, including their connectedness to the natural world. Findings indicated that adolescents with high connectedness scores were less likely to suffer negative psychosomatic symptoms and more likely to report high life satisfaction. Findings also indicated that there was a significant decline by age in the percentages of participants who felt that connections to nature were important. |  Michaelson et al. 2016. Canadian children and spiritual health: Foundations for spiritual care   Access Study
 [ Urban Environments  ]
People of different UE1age groups prefer different features in their physical environment
This study analyzed "positive places" of five different age groups and found that the configuration of a physical urban environment might not appeal equally to people of different ages. |   Laatikainen, Broberg & Kytta, 2016. The physical environment of positive places: Exploring differences between age groups     
Urban planning UE2regulations could counteract some inequalities faced by marginalized groups
Marginalized groups in Shanghai have better access to parks than the general population due, in part, to a green space planning strategy emphasizing an even distribution of urban green space. |  Xiao et al. 2017. An assessment of urban park access in Shanghai - Implications for the social equity in urban China    Access Study
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