The role of physical environment on student health and education in green schools
-
Selen Okcu
,
Erica Ryherd
Abstract
The role of physical school environment on student health and education is becoming better understood. A growing body of literature indicates that improved physical environments in schools (e.g., indoor air quality, lighting, and acoustic conditions) can enhance student health outcomes. In parallel, the green building movement centers around designing buildings, including schools, that are more sustainable to decrease energy consumption, minimize environmental impact, and create healthier spaces for occupants. This paper synthesizes the findings from both green design studies and school outcomes studies to provide a systematic evaluation of the potential impacts of green school design features on student health outcomes. Three inter-related topics are covered in detail: (i) overview of the “green” concept, including existing guidelines for “greening” schools, attitudes toward green schools, and condition of the physical environments in non-green schools; (ii) potential effects of the physical environment on school children, including documentation of national statistics and summary of findings from school research studies; (iii) synthesis of findings, including a discussion of the knowledge gaps in the field of green school research and conclusions.
©2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorials
- Break the cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children
- Environmental health disparities in children
- Review Articles
- Environmental victims: environmental injustice issues that threaten the health of children living in poverty
- Planning for the North Carolina healthy homes initiative
- Combating childhood obesity: a survey of laws affecting the built environments of low-income and minority children
- The role of physical environment on student health and education in green schools
- The relationship between the built environment and birthweight
- Second hand smoke exposure in children: environmental factors, physiological effects, and interventions within pediatrics
- Original Articles
- Mercury exposure education provided by women’s health clinics in Duval County, Florida
- Crawl spaces as reservoirs for transmission of mold to the livable part of the home environment
- The association between urinary concentrations of dichlorophenol pesticides and obesity in children
- Socioeconomic differences and the impact of being small for gestational age on neurodevelopment among preschool-aged children
Articles in the same Issue
- Editorials
- Break the cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children
- Environmental health disparities in children
- Review Articles
- Environmental victims: environmental injustice issues that threaten the health of children living in poverty
- Planning for the North Carolina healthy homes initiative
- Combating childhood obesity: a survey of laws affecting the built environments of low-income and minority children
- The role of physical environment on student health and education in green schools
- The relationship between the built environment and birthweight
- Second hand smoke exposure in children: environmental factors, physiological effects, and interventions within pediatrics
- Original Articles
- Mercury exposure education provided by women’s health clinics in Duval County, Florida
- Crawl spaces as reservoirs for transmission of mold to the livable part of the home environment
- The association between urinary concentrations of dichlorophenol pesticides and obesity in children
- Socioeconomic differences and the impact of being small for gestational age on neurodevelopment among preschool-aged children
