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The Relationship of Urban Form on Children and Adolescent Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review of Canadian Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Tona M. Pitt

    (Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada)

  • Janet Aucoin

    (Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada)

  • Tate HubkaRao

    (Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada
    Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada)

  • Suzanne Goopy

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
    Usher Institute, Old Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, Scotland, UK)

  • Jason Cabaj

    (Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
    Alberta Health Services, 10301 Southport Lane SW, Calgary, AB T2W 1S7, Canada)

  • Brent Hagel

    (Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada
    Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
    Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada
    Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada)

  • Gavin R. McCormack

    (Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
    School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
    Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
    Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 1-104 Totsukamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan)

Abstract

Urban form can have an impact on health outcomes in children, and the synthesis of findings can identify gaps in the literature and regional reviews may help guide policymakers. This study aims to complete a scoping review of the research relating urban form to health outcomes in children and adolescents from urban Canadian settings. Thirteen online databases were searched to identify studies that had objective measures of urban form and health outcomes. Two research assistants independently reviewed 27,444 titles and abstracts, and 176 full-text articles, returning 32 unique studies with youth-specific data. The majority of the included studies were cross-sectional or ecological ( n = 26). Six studies used Canada-wide data and the rest were from Ontario ( n = 11), Alberta ( n = 6), and Quebec ( n = 6). Urban form characteristics included neighbourhood food environment ( n = 11), parks/natural space/greenness ( n = 10), road or intersection characteristics ( n = 7), and aggregated urban form measures ( n = 7). Studies examined a variety of health outcomes: the majority considered weight status ( n = 16) and injury ( n = 10). Although there is over-reliance on mainly cross-sectional study designs, there is evidence suggesting that urban form is associated with health outcomes in Canadian youth, with parks/greenspace, road connectivity, and road characteristics most consistently associated with health outcomes in youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Tona M. Pitt & Janet Aucoin & Tate HubkaRao & Suzanne Goopy & Jason Cabaj & Brent Hagel & Gavin R. McCormack, 2021. "The Relationship of Urban Form on Children and Adolescent Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review of Canadian Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:4180-:d:536561
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McMillan, Tracy E., 2007. "The relative influence of urban form on a child's travel mode to school," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 69-79, January.
    2. Kristian Larsen & Brian Cook & Michelle Stone & Guy Faulkner, 2015. "Food access and children’s BMI in Toronto, Ontario: assessing how the food environment relates to overweight and obesity," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 60(1), pages 69-77, January.
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    6. repec:mpr:mprres:4954 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Sebastian A. Srugo & Margaret de Groh & Ying Jiang & Howard I. Morrison & Hayley A. Hamilton & Paul J. Villeneuve, 2019. "Assessing the Impact of School-Based Greenness on Mental Health Among Adolescent Students in Ontario, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-12, November.
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