The importance of school greening for students' physical health: HGLM estimation from Hangzhou, China

Nowadays, health is one of the most essential growing concerns worldwide. While existing research underscores the critical role of green environments in human health, it has predominantly focused on adults, leaving a significant gap in understanding the relationship between school greening and adolescent health status. Furthermore, prior studies often relied on self-reported assessments of greenness and health status, which are susceptible to respondent bias and may compromise the reliability and accuracy of findings. To address these limitations, this study uses the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index from remote sensing data and sports performance rating data to objectively measure school greening and students' physical health in Hangzhou, China. The ordered logistic model and hierarchical generalised linear model (HGLM) were employed to explore the relationship between these factors, while also considering accessibility to public open spaces. Results indicate that green space coverage in both primary and junior high schools increased from 2016 to 2020, accompanied by a gradual reduction in spatial inequalitsies in school greening, albeit with variations across districts. Particularly, the analysis demonstrates that both school green infrastructure and access to surrounding open spaces significantly enhance students' physical performance. Building on these insights, this study offers novel implications for the planning and management of green spaces within and surrounding schools. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.