Getting children closer to green spaces as they grow up could improve their lung health, according to a study published today (Wednesday) in the European Respiratory Journal. The research found that children tended to have better lung function if their exposure to vegetation close to their homes increased in the first ten years of life. Researchers say their findings support the idea of families moving to greener areas, but also highlight the need to create more green spaces in urban areas. The research was led by Dr Diogo Queiroz Almeida from the University of Porto, Portugal. It included 3278 children living in and around Porto. The team used satellite data and maps to assess the amount of vegetation in the home surroundings, and geographical information systems (technology for comparing the geographical locations of different things) to determine the distance between children’s home addresses and their nearest park, public garden or other public green spaces when they were born and when they were four, seven and ten years old.