Sandercock and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature related to children's physical activity levels in different types of built environments (urban, rural, and suburban). The authors reviewed 18 studies from developed countries and discuss their findings in terms of U.S.- and non-U.S. based studies. Many of the studies examined differences in urban and rural children's physical activity. Based on these studies, Sandercock and colleagues found that there were no major differences in children's physical activity levels in urban and rural areas. A majority of the studies did find, however, that younger children (13 years of age) engaged in more unstructured outdoor play in rural as compared to urban areas. In addition, several studies examined differences in urban, rural, and suburban children's physical activity. Based on these studies, Sandercock and colleagues found that suburban children had the highest physical activity levels, followed by rural and then urban children. The authors suggest that the mixture of rural and urban environmental characteristics (e.g., open spaces and sports facilities) that are often present in suburban environments may be particularly conducive to supporting physical activity.
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