A new The Kids Research Institute Australia-led report into the impact of state and national policy on children’s health has called for kids and families to have more say when it comes to designing cities, towns and transport networks.
The report, produced by the Built Environments and Child Health in Wales and Australia (BEACHES) project – a joint initiative led by The Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia and Swansea University in Wales – says future policy development must include children’s voices and child-specific built environment features if there is to be any chance of increasing kids’ physical activity and reducing childhood obesity and sedentary behaviour.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Hayley Christian said the BEACHES policy review highlighted the many ways state and federal policy could do more to provide built environments that are supportive of children’s physical activity and health.
“We might perceive that kids are physically active enough, but this isn’t the case for most kids,” Associate Professor Christian said.
We know that nine out of ten Australian adolescents aren’t doing enough physical activity, and only one in five children in Perth walk or cycle to school. Similarly, only a third of children aged 2–5 years meet recommended guidelines of three hours of physical activity per day.
“A key aim of the BEACHES project is to provide evidence about how built environments contribute to these low rates of physical activity and associated health problems – and, equally, how more thoughtful, child-friendly planning could really help to turn these statistics around.”
Associate Professor Christian said built environments had the capacity to either support or hinder children’s active transport, structured and unstructured physical activity, and healthy eating behaviours.
“Our neighbourhoods, towns and cities are often designed for the needs of adults who drive motor vehicles, rather than children, yet their impact on children is huge,” she said. “They play a significant role in both the amount of sedentary or active behaviour children engage in and the food choices they have available.
“For example, there is good evidence that to support a healthy weight status and help curb the obesity epidemic in children we need more green space, parks and recreational facilities catering for different child age groups and interests.
“Reduced access to fast food outlets and convenience stores selling energy-dense foods near home and schools is needed. We also need to do more to make our local neighbourhoods and schools easier and safer for children to get around on foot or bike.”
The BEACHES policy review produced by the project implores governments to incorporate children’s voices into the development of policies related to providing urban environments designed to support rather than hinder children’s health and wellbeing.
“We know a lot about what works to get kids moving more, but the existing research evidence about this needs to be translated into policies and actions,” Associate Professor Christian said. “As part of that process, it is imperative that governments hear from children and families.
We are keen to work with leadership across government, to hear the voices of children of different ages and background. Our report calls for a child impact assessment to be undertaken before any new policy decisions are made.
Among other recommendations, the report calls for:
- Inclusion of child-specific built environment features in policy development and review
- Consideration of the way different sub-groups of children interact with the built environment (different age groups, and cultural and socio-economic backgrounds)
- Use of existing research evidence to inform policy development and review; along with further research in some areas to better inform policy
- Collaboration across all government sectors to ensure cohesive, multi-sectorial policies that create healthy environments.
For more information on the BEACHES Project and to read the BEACHES Policy Review, see here.