The influence of the neighborhood physical environment on early child health and development: A review and call for research

Health and Place

Volumn 33, Issue , 2015, Pages 25-36

  Christian, Hayley ^a,b   Zubrick, Stephen R ^b   Foster, Sarah ^a   Giles Corti, Billie ^c   Bull, Fiona ^a   Wood, Lisa ^a   Knuiman, Matthew ^a   Brinkman, Sally ^b   Houghton, Stephen ^a   Boruff, Bryan ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

^c UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE   (Australia)

Author keywords

Child development; Child Health; Environment; Neighborhood; Play

Indexed keywords

CHILD DEVELOPMENT; CHILD HEALTH; ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS; GREENSPACE; NEIGHBORHOOD; PLAY; QUALITY OF LIFE;

CHILD DEVELOPMENT; CHILD HEALTH; CHILD SAFETY; COGNITION; EMOTIONALITY; ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS; HEALTH CARE ACCESS; HOUSING DENSITY; HUMAN; LANGUAGE ABILITY; NEIGHBORHOOD; NEIGHBORHOOD BUILT ENVIRONMENT; NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE; NEIGHBORHOOD PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT; OUTDOOR HOME AREA; PARENTAL ATTITUDE; PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT; RECREATION; REVIEW; SOCIAL COMPETENCE; SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT; SOCIAL INTERACTION; TRAFFIC; WELLBEING; CHILD; DEMOGRAPHY; ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING; PARENT; PSYCHOLOGY; SAFETY; SOCIAL CHANGE; SOCIOECONOMICS;

CHILD; CHILD DEVELOPMENT; CHILD HEALTH; ENVIRONMENT DESIGN; HUMANS; PARENTS; PLAY AND PLAYTHINGS; RESIDENCE CHARACTERISTICS; SAFETY; SOCIAL CHANGE; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS;

EID: 84923869090     PISSN: 13538292     EISSN: 18732054     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.01.005     Document Type: Review

References (100)

1. Aarts M.-J., Wendel-Vos W., van Oers H., van de Goor I., Schuit A.J. Environmental determinants of outdoor play in children: a large-scale cross-sectional study. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2010, 39(3):212-219.
2. Aarts M.-J., de Vries S., van Oers H., Schuit A. Outdoor play among children in relation to neighborhood characteristics: a cross-sectional neighborhood observation study. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2012, 9(1):98-109.
3. Barnett L., Hinkley T., Okely A.D., Salmon J. Child, family and environmental correlates of children's motor skill proficiency. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2012, 16(4):332-336.
4. Bradley R., Caldwell B., Rock S. Home environment classification system: a model for assessing the home environments of developing children. Early Educ. Dev. 1990, 1:238-265.
5. Bringolf-Isler B., Grize L., Mäder U., Ruch N., Sennhauser F.H., Braun-Fahrländer C. Built environment, parents' perception, and children's vigorous outdoor play. Prev. Med. 2010, 50(5-6):251-256.
6. Brinkman S., Gialamas A., Rahman A., Mittinty M., Gregory T., Silburn S., et al. Jurisdictional, socioeconomic and gender inequalities in child health and development: analysis of a national census of 5-year-olds in Australia. BMJ Open 2012, 2:5.
7. Brinkman S.A., Gregory T.A., Goldfeld S., Lynch J.W., Hardy M. Data resource profile: the australian early development index (AEDI). Int. J. Epidemiol. 2014.
8. Bronfenbrenner U. The Ecology of Human Development 1979, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, London.
9. Brooks-Gunn J., Duncan G.J., Klebanov P.K., Sealand N. Do neighborhoods influence child and adolescent development?. Am. J. Sociol. 1993, 99(2):353-395.
10. Brown S., Mason C., Lombard J., Martinez F., Plater-Zyberk E., Spokane A., et al. The relationship of built environment to perceived social support and psychological distress in Hispanic elders: the role of eyes on the street. J. Gerontol. B: Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 2009, 64(2):234-246.
11. Burdette H.L., Whitaker R.C. A national study of neighborhood safety, outdoor play, television viewing, and obesity in preschool children. Pediatrics 2005, 116(3):657-662.
12. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
13. Christian H., Knuiman M., Bull F., Timperio A., Foster S., Divitini M., et al. A new urban planning code's impact on walking: the residential environments project. Am. J. Public Health 2013, 103(7):1219-1228.
14. Chuang R.-J., Sharma S., Skala K., Evans A. Ethnic differences in the home environment and physical activity behaviors among low-income, minority preschoolers in Texas. Am. J. Health Promot. 2013, 27(4):270-278.
15. Cohen S., Glass D., Singer J. Apartment noise, auditory discrimination, and reading ability in children. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 1973, 9(5):407-422.
16. Copperman R.B., Bhat C.R. An analysis of the determinants of children's weekend physical activity participation. Transportation 2007, 34(1):67-87.
17. Davison K., Lawson C. Do attributes in the physical environment influence children's physical activity? A review of the literature. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2006, 3(1):19.
18. De Vries S.I., Hopman-Rock M., Bakker I., Hirasing R.A., Van Mechelen W. Built environmental correlates of walking and cycling in Dutch urban children: results from the SPACE study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7(5):2309-2324.
19. Doherty G. Zero to Six: The basis for School Readiness 1997, Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch, Strategic Policy, Ottawa, Canada.
20. Dunn J.R. Levels of influence in the built environment on the promotion of healthy child development. Healthc. Q. 2012, 15:32-37.
21. Edwards B., Bromfield L.M. Neighborhood influences on young children's conduct problems and pro-social behavior: evidence from an Australian national sample. Child Youth Serv. Rev. 2009, 31(3):317-324.
22. Elkind D. The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children 2007, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA, U.S.
23. Evans G.W. Child development and the physical environment. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2006, 57:423-451.
24. Evans G.W., Lercher P., Kofler W.W. Crowding and children's mental health: the role of house type. J. Environ. Psychol. 2002, 22(3):221-231.
25. Ewing R., Schmid T., Killingsworth R., Zlot A., Raudenbush S. Relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and morbidity. Am. J. Health Promot. 2003, 18(1):47-57.
26. Fan Y., Chen Q. Family functioning as a mediator between neighborhood conditions and children's health: evidence from a national survey in the United States. Soc. Sci. Med. 2012, 74(12):1939-1947.
27. Ferreira I., Van Der Horst K., Wendel-Vos W., Kremers S., Van Lenthe F.J., Brug J. Environmental correlates of physical activity in youth - a review and update. Obes. Rev. 2007, 8(2):129-154.
28. Fjortoft I. Landscape as playscape: the effects of natural environments on children's play and motor development. Child Youth Environ. 2004, 14(2):21-44.
29. Fjortoft I., Sageie J. The natural environment as a playground for children - landscape description and analyses of a natural playscape. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2000, 48(1-2):83-97.
30. Fjørtoft I. The natural environment as a playground for children: the impact of outdoor play activities in pre-primary school children. Early Child Educ. J. 2001, 29(2):111-117.
31. Frank L., Kerr J., Chapman J., Sallis J. Urban form relationships with walk trip frequency and distance among youth. Am. J. Health Promot. 2007, 21(4 Suppl.):305-311.
32. Freeman C., Tranter P. Children and Their Urban Environment 2011, Earthscan, London.
33. Frost J., Wortham S., Reifel R. Play and Child Development 2001, Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River.
34. Gifford R. The consequences of living in high rise buildings. Archit. Sci. Rev. 2007, 50(1):440-455.
35. Giles-Corti, B., Ryan, K., Foster, S., 2012. Increasing Density In Australia: Maximising the Health Benefits and Minimising Harm. Report to the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Melbourne.
36. Giles-Corti B., Bull F., Knuiman M., McCormack G., Van Niel K., Timperio B., et al. The influence of urban design on neighbourhood walking following residential relocation: longitudinal results from the RESIDE study. Soc. Sci. Med. 2013, 77:20-30.
37. Gill T. Space oriented children's policy: creating child friendly communities to improve children's well being. Child. Soc. 2008, 22(2):136-142.
38. Ginsburg K. The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics 2007, 119:182-191.
39. Goldfeld S., Sayers M., Brinkman S. The process and policy challenges of adapting and implementing the early development instrument in Australia. Early Educ. Dev. 2009, 20:978-991.
40. Goldfeld S., Woolcock G., Katz I., Tanton R., Brinkman S., O'Connor E., et al. Neighbourhood effects influencing early childhood development: conceptual model and trial measurement methodologies from the kids in communities study. Soc. Indic. Res. 2015, 120(1). 197-212.
41. Green C., Hoppa R.D., Young T.K., Blanchard J.F. Geographic analysis of diabetes prevalence in an urban area. Soc. Sci. Med. 2003, 57(3):551-560.
42. Grigsby-Toussaint D.S., Chi S.-H., Fiese B.H. Where they live, how they play: neighborhood greenness and outdoor physical activity among preschoolers. Int. J. Health Geogr. 2011, 10:66.
43. Hall T. The Life and Death of the Australian Backyard 2010, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.
44. Hannaford C. Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head 1995, Great Ocean Publishers Inc, Arlington, VA.
45. Harker L. Chance of a Lifetime: The Impact of Bad Housing on Children's Lives 2006, Shelter, London, UK.
46. Heath G.W., Brownson R.C., Kruger J., Miles R., Poewll K.E., Ramsey L.T., et al. The built environment: designing communities to promote physical activity in children. Pediatrics 2009, 123(6):1591-1598.
47. Hertzman C., Keating D.P. Developmental Health and the Wealth of Nations: Social, Biological, and Educational Dynamics 1999, Guilford Press, New York.
48. Hertzman C., Williams R. Making early childhood count. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 2009, 180(1):68-71.
49. Hüttenmoser M. Children and their living surroundings: Empirical investigations into the significance of living surroundings for the everyday life and development of children. Child. Environ. 1995, 12:403-413.
50. Irwin L., Siddiqi A., Hertzman C. Early Child Development: A Powerful Equalizer. WHO's Social Determinants of Health 2007, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), Vancouver, BC.
51. Janus M., Offord D. Early Development Instrument: A Guide 2000, The Canadian Center for Studies of Children at Risk, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
52. Janus M., Offord D.R. Development and psychometric properties of the early development instrument (EDI): a measure of children's school readiness. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2007, 39(1):1-22.
53. Janus M., Brinkman S.A., Duku E.K. Validity and psychometric properties of the early development instrument in Canada, Australia, United States, and Jamaica. Soc. Indic. Res. 2011, 103(2):283-297.
54. Kelty S., Giles-Corti B., Zubrick S. Physical activity and young people: the impact of the built environment in encouraging play, fun and being active. Physical Activity and Children: New Research 2008, 8-33. Nova Science Publishers, New York. N.P. Neaulieu. (Ed.).
55. Kenney M. Child, family, and neighborhood associations with parent and peer interactive play during early childhood. Matern. Child Health J. 2012, 16(S1):S88-S101.
56. Kerr J., Frank L., Sallis J.F., Chapman J. Urban form correlates of pedestrian travel in youth: differences by gender, race-ethnicity and household attributes. Transp. Res. Part D: Transp. Environ. 2007, 12(3):177-182.
57. Kiernan G., Axford N., Little M., Murphy C., Greene S., Gormley M. The school readiness of children living in a disadvantaged area in Ireland. J. Early Child. Res. 2008, 6(2):119-144.
58. Kimbro R., Brooks-Gunn J., McLanahan S. Young children in urban areas: links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching. Soc. Sci. Med. 2011, 72(5):668-676.
59. Kuo F.E., Taylor A.F. A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study. Am. J. Public Health 2004, 94(9):1580-1586.
60. Leventhal T., Brooks-Gunn J. The neighborhoods they live in: the effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent outcomes. Psychol. Bull. 2000, 126(2):309-337.
61. Ling Hin L. Built environment and children's academic performance - a Hong Kong perspective. Habitat Int. 2009, 33(1):45-51.
62. Loptson K., Muhajarine N., Ridalls T. Walkable for whom? Examining the role of the built environment on the neighbourhood-based physical activity of children. Can. J. Public Health 2012, 103(S9):S29-S34.
63. Lovasi G.S., Jacobson J.S., Quinn J.W., Neckerman K.M., Ashby-thompson M.N., Rundle A. Is the environment near home and school associated with physical activity and adiposity of urban preschool children?. J. Urban Health 2011, 88(6):1143-1157.
64. Lynch J.W., Law C., Brinkman S., Chittleborough C., Sawyer M. Inequalities in child healthy development: some challeneges for effective implementation. Soc. Sci. Med. 2010, 71:1244-1248.
65. Marino A.J., Fletcher E.N., Whitaker R.C., Anderson S.E. Amount and environmental predictors of outdoor playtime at home and school: a cross-sectional analysis of a national sample of preschool-aged children attending head start. Health Place 2012, 18(6):1224-1230.
66. Miller P., Votruba-Drzal E. Early academic skills and childhood experiences across the urban-rural continuum. Early Child. Res. Q. 2013, 28(2):234-248.
67. Min B., Lee J. Children's neighborhood place as a psychological and behavioral domain. J. Environ. Psychol. 2006, 26(1):51-71.
68. Mowen A. Parks, Playgrounds and Active Living 2010, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, San Diego.
69. Muhajarine N., Vu L., Labonte R. Social contexts and children's health outcomes: researching across the boundaries. Crit. Public Health 2006, 16(3):205-218.
70. Newman P., Kenworthy J. Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence 1999, Island Press, Washington, DC.
71. Norman G.J., Adams M.A., Kerr J., Ryan S., Frank L.D., Roesch S.C. A latent profile analysis of neighborhood recreation environments in relation to adolescent physical activity, sedentary sime, and obesity. J. Public Health Manag. Pract. 2010, 16(5):411-419.
72. Panter J., Jones A., Van Sluijs E. Environmental determinants of active travel in youth: a review and framework for future research. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2008, 5(3):34.
73. Pellegrini A., Smith P. Physical activity play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Dev. 1998, 69(3):577-598.
74. Pellegrini A.D. Research and policy on children's play. Child Dev. Perspect. 2009, 3(2):131-136.
75. Pereira G., Foster S., Martin K., Christian H., Boruff B., Knuiman M., et al. The association between neighborhood greenness and cardiovascular disease: an observational study. BMC Public Health 2012, 12(1):466-472.
76. Pont K., Ziviani J., Wadley D., Bennett S., Abbott R. Environmental correlates of children's active transportation: a systematic literature review. Health Place 2009, 15(3):849-862.
77. Quigg R., Reeder A.I., Gray A., Holt A., Waters D. The effectiveness of a community playground intervention. J. Urban Health 2011, 89(1):171-184.
78. Roemmich J., Epstein L., Raja S., Yin L. The neighborhood and home environments: disparate relationships with physical activity and sedentary behaviors in youth. Ann. Behav. Med. 2007, 33(1):29-38.
79. Roemmich J.N., Epstein L.H., Raja S., Yin L., Robinson J., Winiewicz D. Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children. Prev. Med. 2006, 43(6):437-441.
80. Rosenberg L., Jarus T., Bart O., Ratzon N. Can personal and environmental factors explain dimensions of child participation?. Child Care Health Dev. 2011, 37(2):266-275.
81. Sallis J.F., Nader P.R., Broyles S.L., Berry C.C., Elder J.P., McKenzie T.L., et al. Correlates of physical activity at home in Mexican-American and Anglo-American preschool children. Health Psychol. 1993, 12(5):390-398.
82. Sallis J.F., Taylor W.C., Dowda M., Freedson P.S., Pate R.R. Correlates of vigorous physical activity for children in grades 1 through 12: comparing parent-reported and objectively measured physical activity. Pediatr. Exerc. Sci. 2002, 14(1):30.
83. Shonkoff J., Phillips D.E. Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development 2000, National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.
84. Spurrier N., Magarey A., Curnow F., Sawyer M. Relationships between the home environment and physical activity and dietary patterns of preschool children: a cross-sectional study. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2008, 5:31.
85. Strife S., Downey L. Childhood development and access to nature: a new direction for environmental inequality research. Organ. Environ. 2009, 22(1):99-122.
86. Tappe K.A., Glanz K., Sallis J.F., Zhou C., Saelens B.E. Children's physical activity and parents' perception of the neighborhood environment: neighborhood impact on kids study. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2013, 10(1):39.
87. Taylor A.F., Wiley A., Kuo F.E., Sullivan W.C. Growing up in the inner city - green spaces as places to grow. Environ. Behav. 1998, 30(1):3-27.
88. Timperio A., Crawford D., Telford A., Salmon J. Perceptions about the local neighborhood and walking and cycling among children. Prev. Med. 2004, 38(1):39-47.
89. Timperio A., Giles-Corti B., Crawford D., Andrianopoulos N., Ball K., Salmon J., et al. Features of public open spaces and physical activity among children: findings from the CLAN study. Prev. Med. 2008, 47(5):514-518.
90. To T., Cadarette S., Liu Y. Biological, social, and environmental correlates of preschool development. Child Care Health Dev. 2001, 27(2):187-200.
91. Transportation Research Board Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Does the built environment influence physical activity? Examining the evidence 2005, Transportation Research Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Washington DC.
92. UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNAIDS, et al. Facts for Life 2010, UNICEF, New York. 4th edition.
93. Veitch J., Salmon J., Ball K. Individual, social and physical environmental correlates of children's active free-play: a cross-sectional study. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2010, 7(1):11.
94. Wachs T., Gruen G. Early Experience and Human Development 1982, Plenum Press, New York.
95. Wells N. At home with nature - effects of greenness's on children's cognitive functioning. Environ. Behav. 2000, 32(6):775-795.
96. Whitzman C., Mizrachi D. Vertical Living Kids: Creating Supportive High Rise Environments for Children in Melbourne 2009, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne.
97. Wood L., Shannon T., Bulsara M., Pikora T., McCormack G., Giles-Corti B. The anatomy of the safe and social suburb: an exploratory study of the built environment, social capital and residents' perceptions of safety. Health Place 2008, 14(1):15-31.
98. Woolcock G., Gleeson B., Randolph B. Urban research and child-friendly cities: a new Australian outline. Child. Geogr. 2010, 8(2):177-192.
99. Zubrick S., Silburn S., Prior M. Resources and contexts for child development: implications for children and society. No Time To Lose: The Well Being of Australia's Children 2005, 161-200. Melbourne University Press, Carlton. S. Richardson, M. Prior (Eds.).
100. Zubrick S., Taylor C., Lawrence D., Mitrou F., Christensen D., Dalby R. The development of human capability across the lifecourse: perspectives from childhood. Australas. Epidemiol. 2009, 16(3):6-10.