The research, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (IS Global), looked at data from 35,000 children in eight different European countries – Denmark, France, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.

It found a "robust" link between exposure to green spaces in early childhood and better lung function. Children who lived further away from green spaces were found to have lower lung volume - the maximum amount of air a person can breathe out without a time limit after taking a deep breath.