The importance of neighbourhoods during COVID-19
09/08/2024
The neighbourhoods in which children live, grow and play are a key determinant of their health and wellbeing.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health restrictions (like the closures of schools and playgrounds and geographic restrictions on movement) dramatically changed the daily lives of children. This was a unique situation in which their experiences were limited to what was available in their local neighbourhood for playing and socialising.
A new narrative review has just been published by Prof Hannah Badland and the Changing Children’s Chances team on the role that neighbourhood environments played in children’s health and wellbeing.
Three neighbourhood domains are consistently associated with children’s health and wellbeing.
The review examined associations between these features of the neighbourhood built environment and children’s physical health and social-emotional wellbeing outcomes during the pandemic. Children living in higher density housing had increased sedentary behaviours, reduced physical activity, and poorer social-emotional outcomes. Those living in neighbourhoods with less residential density, greater access to public open spaces and more local cycling and walking paths reported more physical activity and less sedentary behaviours.
These findings highlight the need for improved housing conditions across the board.
In local neighbourhoods, quality, well-designed and accessible public open spaces and better walkability infrastructure should be prioritised to optimise children’s health and wellbeing outcomes. This is particularly important in neighbourhoods of greater disadvantage. This review offers insights into what types of neighbourhood features are important for children’s health and wellbeing and sets a future urban policy research agenda.
