Citation

Lambert A, Vlaar J, Herrington S, Brussoni M. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(20): e16203840.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, British Columbia Injury Research & Prevention Unit, F511-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada. mbrussoni@bcchr.ubc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16203840

PMID

31614536

Abstract

Outdoor play has been associated with children's and adolescents' healthy development and physical activity. Attributes of the neighbourhood built environment can influence play behaviours. This systematic review examined the relationship between attributes of the neighbourhood built environment and the time children and adolescents (0-18 years) spend in self-directed outdoor play. We identified and evaluated 18 relevant papers using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and developed a narrative synthesis of study results. We found moderate evidence that lower traffic volumes (ages 6-11), yard access (ages 3-10), and increased neighbourhood greenness (ages 2-15) were positively associated with time spent in outdoor play, as well as limited evidence that specific traffic-calming street features such as fewer intersections, low traffic speeds, neighbourhood disorder, and low residential density were positively associated with time spent in outdoor play. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review on this topic. The limited number of "good quality" studies identified highlights the need for additional research on the topic.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; child; neighbourhood design; playability; unstructured play