4557 - SCHOOL GREENSPACE CAN MITIGATE ADOLESCENT ANXIETY: A LARGE-SCALE GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS ACROSS 98 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Session: D04S003 - Nature & Well-Being 3
AUTHORS:
Strygina Ksenia (International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Salamatin Mikhail (International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Kerimova Nadezhda (International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Malych Sergey (Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Schmeleva Irina (Institute of Design and Urbanism, ITMO ~ Saint Petersburg ~ Russian Federation) , Chichkova Nalalia (Institute of Design and Urbanism, ITMO ~ Saint Petersburg ~ Russian Federation) , Medvedev Andrey (Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Panidi Ksenia (Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation) , Kliucharev Vasiliy (International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University ~ Moscow ~ Russian Federation)
Abstract text:
Introduction:
As adolescent anxiety reaches unprecedented levels, can the strategic integration of nature into urban schoolyards offer a scalable intervention? While it is well-established that urban stressors like noise and pollution degrade student well-being, the specific restorative capacity of school-adjacent "green" and "blue" spaces remains poorly quantified across diverse urban contexts.
Purpose:
This study examines the interplay between environmental assets (vegetation and water proximity), urban pressures (roads, industrial surroundings), and academic demands (curriculum intensity and school hours) to identify their combined impact on the state anxiety of secondary school students.
Method:
We conducted a large-scale analysis of 3,631 students (aged 13-18) from 98 provincial schools in Eastern Europe. State anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Using multilevel linear regression and geospatial modeling, we assessed natural exposure within 100-5000m buffers while controlling for nearby roads, industrial buildings, and socio-demographic factors.
Results:
Our findings confirm that female students exhibit significantly higher baseline anxiety than males (45.33 vs 41.95). However, females also demonstrate the highest sensitivity to natural "buffers": size of green and blue spaces within a 250-500m radius significantly reduce state anxiety specifically in female students. Furthermore, unlike their male counterparts, female students showed a significant linear reduction in anxiety associated with the visibility of trees within their immediate school surroundings. Despite these natural restorative effects, school-related workload remains the primary driver of stress. Anxiety levels increase non-linearly with the amount of time spent on homework, with proficiency in exact sciences is associated with a decrease in anxiety, unlike humanitarian subjects performance.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that in order to protect adolescent well-being, urban planning must prioritize accessible "blue-green" buffers within 500m of schools. Our results advocate for gender-sensitive environmental design and optimized academic schedules, emphasizing that nature-based interventions are most effective when considering the volume of students' academic workload.