Access to neighborhood parks and green space is linked to higher activity levels in children in Norway

Nordbo, E. ., Raanaas, R. ., Nordh, H. ., & Aamodt, G. . (2019). Neighborhood green spaces, facilities and population density as predictors of activity participation among 8-year-olds: A cross-sectional GIS study based on the Norwegian mother and child cohort study. BMC Public Health, 19. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7795-9

Leisure, physical activity, and social interactions play important roles in promoting children's health and well-being.  While it's generally understood that the built environment influences children's activities, specific information about which built environment characteristics are most effective in promoting active living is lacking. This study examined whether population density, green spaces, and facilities/amenities are associated with children's participation in leisure-time physical activity (PA), organized activities, and social activities with friends and peers.

This study analyzed data from over 23,000 children who were a part of a Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Participating mothers completed a questionnaire about their children's leisure activities, friends, and general health. This data was then linked to information about neighborhood population density and access to green spaces and facilities/amenities (including parks) within 800- and 5000-meter radii of the participants' home addresses.

Results showed that children with access to a park in their neighborhood were more physically active during the summer than those without access to a park. Children who lived in neighborhoods with more green space were more physically active during the winter than children who lived in neighborhoods with less green space. Children living in more densely populated areas and with access to facilities such as playgrounds/ sports fields and schools participated more in organized activities and socialized more with friends than children in other neighborhoods. While more playgrounds/sports fields in the neighborhood was strongly linked to more social activity with friends and peers among both boys and girls, there were some gender differences in leisure-time PA. Boys engaged in significantly more leisure-time PA than girls in both summer and winter. A somewhat surprising finding showed that “total neighborhood green space decreased the odds of social activity with friends and peers.” This could be due to the fact that greener areas are less densely populated. The highest likelihood of children participating in organized activities was in neighborhoods with moderate population density. Additionally, children living in densely populated areas were more likely to spend time with friends than children who did not live in densely populated neighborhoods

These findings highlight the importance of access to a variety of venues in children's immediate neighborhood for promoting their participation in physical activity and organized and social activities. Implications of this research include the need for “attention to and consideration of the design of green spaces to accommodate for seasonal activities.” This study also calls attention to the fact that “creating health-promoting environments is complex and not straightforward.” This fact highlights “the importance of integrative planning practices and solutions, as well as closer collaboration among researchers, policy makers, planners, and public health professionals.”

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