Associations of Green Spaces and Streets in the Living Environment with Outdoor Activity, Media Use, Overweight/Obesity and Emotional Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents

Tanja Poulain, Carolin Sobek, Juliane Ludwig, Ulrike Igel, Gesine Grande, Verena Ott, Wieland Kiess, Antje Körner and Mandy Vogel
Additional contact information
Tanja Poulain: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Carolin Sobek: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Juliane Ludwig: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Ulrike Igel: Center for Research and Transfer (FTZ) at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK), Research Field Health and Social Affairs, P.O. Box 30 11 66, 04251 Leipzig, Germany
Gesine Grande: Center for Research and Transfer (FTZ) at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK), Research Field Health and Social Affairs, P.O. Box 30 11 66, 04251 Leipzig, Germany
Verena Ott: Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL), Research Group Mobilities and Migration, Schongauerstrasse 9, 04328 Leipzig, Germany
Wieland Kiess: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Antje Körner: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Mandy Vogel: LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: Aspects of the living environment can affect health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Whereas most previous studies assessed the more distant residential urban environment, less is known on possible effects of the close environment. The present study investigated associations of the proportion of streets and green spaces in the immediate urban living environment (50, 100 and 400 m around the home) with media use, outdoor activity, overweight/obesity and emotional problems in two samples of younger (age 3–10, n = 395) and older children (age 10–19, n = 405). Independently of socioeconomic parameters, a higher proportion of streets was associated with overweight/obesity (in younger and older children), higher media use (in younger children), less outdoor activity and more emotional problems (in older children). Older children’s outdoor activity in winter increased with increasing proportions of green spaces. The observations suggest that the immediate urban living environment is a factor that can affect leisure behavior and health in children.

Keywords: urban living environment; outdoor activity; overweight; emotional wellbeing; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6321-:d:406355

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