Cites a study on effects of school lighting on elementary students.
Researcher Warren E. Hathaway's report to the American Psychological
Association; Findings of the study, involving high-pressure sodium vapor
lamps and full-spectrum fluorescent lamps with ultraviolet supplements;
The suggestion that light is 'nutritional.'
By
PT Staff, published on March 01, 1994
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
Plans to improve the education of America's youth usually focus on
boosting reading or math skills, but a Toronto psychologist thinks there
may be an equally effective way to better performance: bright
lights.
Elementary school students who spent two years working under
high-pressure sodium vapor lamps had poorer records of achievement and
attendance, plus far slower rates of growth and development, than those
whose classrooms had full-spectrum fluorescent lamps with ultraviolet
supplements, according to Canadian psychologist Warren E. Hathaway,
Ph.D.
"Clearly, this study points to the single conclusion that lighting
systems are not neutral with respect to their effects on people,"
Hathaway told the American Psychological Association.
In a study of over 325 fourth graders, Hathaway found that students
who studied under the bright, daylight-like light of the
fluorescent-ultraviolet bulbs were absent less often and achieved higher
scores on aptitude tests than those working under the yellowish-orange
sodium vapor bulbs. The "bright-light" kids also grew more quickly, had
far fewer cavities, and began menstruating much earlier.
No one's sure what's happening, but the UV supplements may have
something to do with it. Ultraviolet radiation stimulates vitamin D
production in the skin, letting the body use calcium more efficiently and
thus preventing cavities. UV light also kills bacteria, promoting good
health and possibly boosting attendance-- which in turn may hike test
scores--Hathaway theorizes.
Of course, UV light explains only part of what's going on, and may
have different effects on adults or younger children. But if light is
indeed "nutritional," as Hathaway suggests, rethinking lighting systems
in schools, hospitals, etc., may be a bright idea.
PHOTO: Rethinking current lighting systems in schools, offices,
nursing homes, and other places where people spend their daylight hours
may be a bright idea--and nutritional to boot.
Tags:
american psychological association,
aptitude tests,
cavities,
education,
elementary school students,
full spectrum,
growth and development,
health,
light,
math skills,
nursing homes,
school performance,
student,
ultraviolet radiation,
UV light
