Neighbourhood, Built Environment and Children's Outdoor Play Spaces in Urban Ghana: Review of Policies and Challenges

Impact of Park Redesign and Renovation on Children's Quality of Life

Despite increasing interest in the role of parks on children's health, there has been little empirical research on the impact of park interventions. We used a quasi-experimental pre-post study design with matched controls to evaluate the effects of park redesign and renovation on children's quality of life (QoL) in underserved neighborhoods in New York City, with predominantly Hispanic and Black populations. Utilizing longitudinal data from the Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) Study, we examined the parent-reported QoL of 201 children aged 3-11 years living within a 0.3-mile radius of 13 renovated parks compared to 197 children living near 11 control parks before and after the park intervention. QoL was measured using a modified version of the KINDL questionnaire, a health-related QoL scale that assessed children's physical and emotional well-being, self-esteem, and well-being in home, peer, and school functioning. Linear mixed regression model was used to examine the difference in difference (DID) between the intervention vs. control group for QoL. We found a significant differential improvement in the physical well-being subscale of KINDL in the intervention vs. control group (DID = 6.35, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.85-11,85, p = 0.024). The effect was particularly strong among girls (DID = 7.88, p = 0.023) and children of the lowest socio-economic background (p < 0.05). No significant DID was found in other KINDL domains. Our study indicated a beneficial impact of improving park quality on the physical well-being of children residing in underserved neighborhoods. These findings lend support for investments in neighborhood parks to advance health equity.

The built environment and child obesity: A review of Australian policies

Child obesity is a serious public health challenge affected by both individual choice and societal and environmental factors. The main modifiable risk factors for child obesity are unhealthy eating and low levels of physical activity, both influenced by aspects of the built environment. Coordinated government policy across jurisdictions, developed using strong research evidence, can enable built environments that better support healthy lifestyles. This study reviewed current Australian and Western Australian government policies to understand if and how they address the impact of the built environment on child obesity, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and diet. Current government policy documents related to the built environment and child health were analyzed using the Comprehensive Analysis of Policy on Physical Activity framework. Ten Australian and 31 Western Australian government policy documents were identified. Most referred to the role of the built environment in supporting physical activity. Very few policies mentioned the built environment's role in reducing sedentary behaviors, supporting healthy eating, and addressing obesity. Few recognized the needs of children, and none mentioned children in policy development. Future government policy development should include the voices of children and child-specific built environment features. Inter-organizational policies with transparent implementation and evaluation plans are recommended.

"In small places, close to home": Urban environmental impacts on child rights across four global cities

Urban environments influence child behaviours, exposures and experiences and may affect health, development, achievement and realization of fundamental human rights. We examined the status of eleven UN Convention on the Rights of the Child articles, in a multi-case study across four global cities. Within all study cities, children experienced unequal exposure to urban environmental risks and amenities. Many violations of child rights are related to car-based transportation systems and further challenged by pressures on urban systems from rapid population increases in the context of climate change. A child rights framework provides principles for a collective, multi-sectoral re-imagination of urban environments that support the human rights of all citizens.