International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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25 pages, 2139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Access to and Quality of Neighbourhood Public Open Space and Children’s Mental Health Outcomes: Evidence from Population Linked Data across Eight Australian Capital Cities

by Amanda Alderton, Meredith O’Connor, Hannah Badland, Lucy Gunn, Claire Boulangé and Karen Villanueva

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6780; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116780 - 1 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3194

Abstract

Neighbourhood-level interventions offer a promising opportunity to promote child mental health at a population level; however, neighbourhood effects are still regarded as a ‘black box’ and a better understanding of the specific design elements, such as public open space, is needed to inform [...] Read more.

Neighbourhood-level interventions offer a promising opportunity to promote child mental health at a population level; however, neighbourhood effects are still regarded as a ‘black box’ and a better understanding of the specific design elements, such as public open space, is needed to inform actionable policy interventions. Methods: This study leveraged data from a population linked dataset (Australian Early Development Census—Built Environment) combining information from a national census of children’s developmental outcomes with individualised geospatial data. Associations between access to (within 400 m and 800 m from home), and quality of, public open space and child mental health outcomes across eight capital cities were estimated using multilevel logistic regression models, adjusting for demographic and contextual factors. Access was defined based on proximity of public open space to children’s home addresses, within distance thresholds (400 m, 800 m) measured along the road network. Effect modification was tested across maternal education groups. Results: Across the eight capital cities, inequities in access to child friendly public open spaces were observed across maternal education groups and neighbourhood disadvantage quintiles. Children with access to any type of public open space within 800 m of home had lower odds of demonstrating difficulties and higher odds of competence. Children with access to child friendly public open spaces within 800 m of home had the highest likelihood of demonstrating competence. Conclusion: Improving access to neighbourhood public open space appears to be a promising strategy for preventing mental health difficulties and promoting competence in early childhood. Action is needed to redress socio-spatial inequities in access to child friendly public open space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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14 pages, 785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Perceptions of the Neighbourhood Built Environment Are Associated with the Social and Emotional Development of Young Children

by Trina Robinson, Andrea Nathan, Kevin Murray and Hayley Christian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6476; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116476 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2543

Abstract

The influence of the neighbourhood built environment on young children’s physical development has been well-documented; however, there is limited empirical evidence of an association with social and emotional development. Parental perceptions of the neighbourhood built environment may act as facilitators or barriers to [...] Read more.

The influence of the neighbourhood built environment on young children’s physical development has been well-documented; however, there is limited empirical evidence of an association with social and emotional development. Parental perceptions of the neighbourhood built environment may act as facilitators or barriers to young children’s play and interactions in their local environment. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between parents’ perceptions of the neighbourhood built environment and the social-emotional development of children aged two-to-five years. Parents’ positive perceptions of traffic safety (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.55, 0.98), crime safety (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.64, 0.99) and land use mix–access (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.56, 0.98) were associated with lower odds of social-emotional difficulties, while positive perceptions of walking and cycling facilities were associated with higher odds of difficulties (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.02, 1.55). Positive perceptions of land use mix–access (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.03, 1.69), street connectivity (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.10, 1.66) and neighbourhood aesthetics (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.01, 1.60) were associated with higher odds of prosocial behaviours. Interventions to improve parents’ perceptions of built environment features may facilitate opportunities for play and interactions which contribute to healthy social-emotional development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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17 pages, 1561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Influence of Community-Level Determinants on Children’s Social and Emotional Well-Being: A Systems Science and Participatory Approach

by Brenda T. Poon, Chris Atchison and Amanda Kwan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105972 - 14 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

Healthy social and emotional development and longer-term outcomes for children are shaped by factors across the multiple levels (micro, meso, exo, macro) of a child’s environment. By employing a novel systems science and participatory approach, we were able to co-produce a series of [...] Read more.

Healthy social and emotional development and longer-term outcomes for children are shaped by factors across the multiple levels (micro, meso, exo, macro) of a child’s environment. By employing a novel systems science and participatory approach, we were able to co-produce a series of causal loop diagrams that detail the complex relationships between variables operating at the community or neighborhood environment level (e.g., features of the built environment such as: housing type, access, availability, and location; parks and greenspace, facilities such as community services, and other service infrastructure such as transit), and highlight the individual and collective impacts these relationships can have on the subsystem surrounding a child’s social and emotional well-being. Our approach provides a unique lens of knowledge through which communities can identify key leverage points for action and (re)design of community spaces, practices, and policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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18 pages, 764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data to Decisions: Methods to Create Neighbourhood Built Environment Indicators Relevant for Early Childhood Development

by Karen Villanueva, Amanda Alderton, Carl Higgs, Hannah Badland and Sharon Goldfeld

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5549; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095549 - 3 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3718

Abstract

Healthy development in the early years lays the foundations for children’s ongoing physical, emotional, and social development. Children develop in multiple contexts, including their local neighbourhood. Neighbourhood-built environment characteristics, such as housing, walkability, traffic exposure, availability of services, facilities, and parks, are associated [...] Read more.

Healthy development in the early years lays the foundations for children’s ongoing physical, emotional, and social development. Children develop in multiple contexts, including their local neighbourhood. Neighbourhood-built environment characteristics, such as housing, walkability, traffic exposure, availability of services, facilities, and parks, are associated with a range of health and wellbeing outcomes across the life course, but evidence with early years’ outcomes is still emerging. Data linkage techniques were used to assemble a dataset of spatial (objectively-measured) neighbourhood-built environment (BE) measures linked to participant addresses in the 2015 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) for children living in the 21 most populous urban and regional Australian cities (n = 235,655) to help address this gap. This paper describes the methods used to develop this dataset. This linked dataset (AEDC-BE) is the first of its kind worldwide, enabling opportunities for identifying which features of the built environment are associated with ECD across Australia at scale, allow comparisons between diverse contexts, and the identification of where best to intervene. National data coverage provides statistical power to model real-world complexities, such as differences by city, state/territory, and remoteness. The neighbourhood-built environment can be modified by policy and practice at scale, and has been identified as a way to help reduce inequitable early childhood development outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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17 pages, 1456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Childhood between a Rock and a Hard Place: Early Childhood Education and Students’ Disruption in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

by Jan Alam, Muhammad Azeem Ashraf, Samson Maekele Tsegay and Nadia Shabnam

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4486; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084486 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Looking through the lens of ecological system theory, this paper used a mixed-method approach, based on 20 interviews and 208 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher questionnaires, to elaborate the position of ECE in Pakistan. The study indicates that ECE is between a rock [...] Read more.

Looking through the lens of ecological system theory, this paper used a mixed-method approach, based on 20 interviews and 208 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher questionnaires, to elaborate the position of ECE in Pakistan. The study indicates that ECE is between a rock and a hard place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The findings further show that ECE is provided by less qualified and inexperienced teachers, who give less attention to the physical and psychological needs of the students. The classrooms are overcrowded and lack relevant teaching–learning materials. Moreover, the single-teacher policy and overcrowded classrooms hinder students’ motivation, the delivery of quality education and the development of good behaviors. These challenges are also the main causes of students’ dropouts. This paper increases people’s understanding of ECE and its challenges in Pakistan. For ECE development, the paper recommends separating ECE from primary schools and giving it a budget to purchase adequate and relevant resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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19 pages, 14540 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation and Optimization of Walkability of Children’s School Travel Road for Accessibility and Safety Improvement

by Jia Zhao, Wei Su, Jiancheng Luo and Jin Zuo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010071 - 22 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3249

Abstract

(1) Background: In the context of a children friendly city, accessibility and safety are the basic needs of children’s pedestrian school travel. This study proposes a comprehensive evaluation method of pedestrian accessibility and safety for children’s school travel. (2) Methods: Firstly, the school [...] Read more.

(1) Background: In the context of a children friendly city, accessibility and safety are the basic needs of children’s pedestrian school travel. This study proposes a comprehensive evaluation method of pedestrian accessibility and safety for children’s school travel. (2) Methods: Firstly, the school travel network was constructed by simulating the path of children walking to school. Secondly, from the meso and micro dimensions, the impact factors of pedestrian accessibility and safety were combed out, and an evaluation index system was constructed. Finally, pedestrian accessibility and safety were evaluated based on the Space Syntax analysis and ArcGIS spatial analysis, and the results were superimposed and spatially differentiated. The new evaluation method was tested in the Jintang Road area in Hedong District, Tianjin, China. (3) Results: The pedestrian accessibility and safety of children’s school travel road in the study area needed to be improved. It was found that the main impact factors were the effective walking width, the spatial connectivity, the visual integration, the obstruction of pedestrian safety, the completeness of crossing facilities and the influence of traffic flow and put forward optimization strategies. After optimized simulation verification, the overall improvement was achieved. (4) Conclusion: The evaluation method is helpful to calculate the pedestrian accessibility and safety of children’s school travel, and help decision makers determine the design and management strategies of child-friendly streets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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21 pages, 7346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Walking Comfort in Children’s School Travel at Street Scale: A Case Study in Tianjin (China)

by Jin Zuo, Tong Mu, Tian-Yi Xiao and Jian-Cheng Luo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10292; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910292 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2216

Abstract

(1) Background: school travel is an important part of a child’s daily activities. A comfortable walking environment can encourage children to walk to school. The existing methods of evaluating walking environments are not specific to children’s walks to school. (2) Methods: this study [...] Read more.

(1) Background: school travel is an important part of a child’s daily activities. A comfortable walking environment can encourage children to walk to school. The existing methods of evaluating walking environments are not specific to children’s walks to school. (2) Methods: this study proposes a method of evaluating walking comfort in children traveling to school at street scale. Related indexes were selected that reflect children’s school travel behavior and their needs in street environments based on walking environment audit tools. Factor analysis was then used to calculate the relative weight of each index. (3) Results: the new evaluation method was tested in the neighborhoods around the First Central Primary School in Hedong District, Tianjin, China. The walking comfort for children’s school travel was evaluated in eight indexes: effective street width; street flatness; street cleanliness; interface diversity; buffer; shade coverage; green looking ratio; and sound decibels. Different classes and types of streets were found to have various vulnerabilities. (4) Conclusions: this evaluation method can accurately locate the weak spots in streets to improve the local policymakers’ perception of street environments, which can greatly facilitate the implementation of precise measures to promote children walking to school. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 1259 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Association between Green Space and Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Review

by Yijun Zhang, Suzanne Mavoa, Jinfeng Zhao, Deborah Raphael and Melody Smith

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(18), 6640; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186640 - 11 Sep 2020

Cited by 107 | Viewed by 14302

Abstract

This systematic review summarised and evaluated the evidence for associations between green space and adolescents’ mental well-being. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed for reporting systematic reviews. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Synthesis suggests beneficial associations between green space [...] Read more.

This systematic review summarised and evaluated the evidence for associations between green space and adolescents’ mental well-being. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed for reporting systematic reviews. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Synthesis suggests beneficial associations between green space exposure and reduced stress, positive mood, less depressive symptoms, better emotional well-being, improved mental health and behaviour, and decreased psychological distress in adolescents. Several studies found the relationship varied by demographic and socio-economic factors. The limited number of studies and the risk of bias were the main limitations, together with heterogeneity regarding green space and mental well-being assessments. Overall, this review highlights the potential contribution of green space in schoolyards. Improving the availability, accessibility and quality of green space is likely to generate positive impacts on adolescents’ mental well-being. More consistent evidence on the use of different types of green space and perceptions of features are needed in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development)

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