IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i24p16968-d1006475.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

More-Than-Human: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Children’s Perceptions of Health and Health-Promoting Neighbourhoods in Aotearoa New Zealand

Author

Listed:
  • Tiffany Williams

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

  • Kim Ward

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

  • Victoria Egli

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

  • Sandra Mandic

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
    School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0627, New Zealand
    AGILE Research Ltd., Wellington 6011, New Zealand)

  • Tessa Pocock

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

  • Terryann C. Clark

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

  • Melody Smith

    (School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand)

Abstract

A disconnect between children’s ideas and their incorporation into environmental design, in the context of rapid urbanisation and climate crises, compelled us to reflect on children’s meaningful participation in positive environmental change. Our research aimed to bring new knowledge to the fore using a participatory, child-centred approach to understanding children’s perceptions of health and health-promoting neighbourhoods in Aotearoa New Zealand. The cross-sectional Neighbourhoods and Health study was conducted with 93 primary school-aged children (approximate ages 8 to 10 years) from two schools in Ōtepoti Dunedin and two schools in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from June 2020 to August 2021. We present a framework of twelve child-centred topics of importance for health ( Healthcare and ‘not getting sick’ , ‘How you feel’ , and Taking care of yourself ), health-promoting neighbourhoods ( Proximity, safety and feel , Range of ‘places to go’ , ‘Friendly streets’ , and ‘No smoking’ ), and those common to both ( Connections with other humans , Healthy food and drink , Exercising and playing sport ‘to keep fit’ , ‘Nature’ and ‘helping the environment’ , and Recreational activities ). The more-than-human theory was used to situate our study findings, and we explored three threads evident in children’s thinking: (1) care for humans and non-humans, (2) vital interdependence of human–non-human relations, and (3) understanding complex urban environments through everyday activities. We conclude that the thriving of humans and non-humans in urban environments is important to children in Aotearoa New Zealand. We affirm that children have clear and salient ideas about health and health-promoting neighbourhoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Tiffany Williams & Kim Ward & Victoria Egli & Sandra Mandic & Tessa Pocock & Terryann C. Clark & Melody Smith, 2022. "More-Than-Human: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Children’s Perceptions of Health and Health-Promoting Neighbourhoods in Aotearoa New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16968-:d:1006475
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16968/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16968/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Penelope Carroll & Karen Witten & Robin Kearns & Phil Donovan, 2015. "Kids in the City: Children's Use and Experiences of Urban Neighbourhoods in Auckland, New Zealand," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 417-436, October.
    2. Claire Freeman & Christina Ergler & Tess Guiney, 2017. "Planning with Preschoolers: City Mapping as a Planning Tool," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 297-318, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ayse Ozbil Torun & Ilayda Zelal Akın & Heval Bingol & Margaret Anne Defeyter & Yucel Can Severcan, 2024. "Children’s Perspectives of Neighbourhood Spaces: Gender-Based Insights From Participatory Mapping and GIS Analysis," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
    2. Camilla Aparecida Silva Oliveira & Ramon Targino Firmino & Fernanda Ferreira & Andréa Maria Duarte Vargas & Efigênia Ferreira e Ferreira, 2022. "Development and Validation of the Quality of Life in the Neighborhood Questionnaire for Children 8 to 10 Years of Age (QoL-N-Kids 8–10)," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(5), pages 1847-1870, October.
    3. Melissa VanSickle & Christopher Coutts, 2022. "Considerations for Children’s Nature Connection and Park Environmental Justice in Western Societies," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Jenny Stenberg & Lasse Fryk, 2021. "Making School Children’s Participation in Planning Processes a Routine Practice," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Melody Smith & Rebecca Amann & Alana Cavadino & Deborah Raphael & Robin Kearns & Roger Mackett & Lisa Mackay & Penelope Carroll & Euan Forsyth & Suzanne Mavoa & Jinfeng Zhao & Erika Ikeda & Karen Witt, 2019. "Children’s Transport Built Environments: A Mixed Methods Study of Associations between Perceived and Objective Measures and Relationships with Parent Licence for Independent Mobility in Auckland, New ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-22, April.
    6. Shengchen Yin & Dena Kasraian & Pieter van Wesemael, 2022. "Children and Urban Green Infrastructure in the Digital Age: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Carroll, Penelope & Witten, Karen & Duff, Cameron, 2021. "“How can we make it work for you?” Enabling sporting assemblages for disabled young people," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    8. Ergler, Christina R. & Freeman, Claire & Guiney, Tess, 2020. "Pre-schoolers' transport imaginaries: Moving towards sustainable futures?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Märit Jansson & Emma Herbert & Alva Zalar & Maria Johansson, 2022. "Child-Friendly Environments—What, How and by Whom?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-26, April.
    10. Yuhui Liao & Katsunori Furuya, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Child-Friendly Cities: A Cross-Database Analysis from 2000 to 2022," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-25, October.
    11. Ikeda, Erika & Mavoa, Suzanne & Hinckson, Erica & Witten, Karen & Donnellan, Niamh & Smith, Melody, 2018. "Differences in child-drawn and GIS-modelled routes to school: Impact on space and exposure to the built environment in Auckland, New Zealand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 103-115.
    12. Christina R. Ergler & Claire Freeman & Tess Guiney, 2022. "Pre‐Schoolers’ Vision for Liveable Cities: Creating ‘Care‐Full’ Urban Environments," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 113(2), pages 131-150, April.
    13. Mika R. Moran & Pnina Plaut & Dafna Merom, 2017. "Is the Grass Always Greener in Suburban Neighborhoods? Outdoors Play in Suburban and Inner-City Neighborhoods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, July.
    14. Nan, Fang, 2020. "Policy innovation on building child friendly cities in China: Evidence from four Chinese cities," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    15. Paul Blaschke & Maibritt Pedersen Zari & Ralph Chapman & Edward Randal & Meredith Perry & Philippa Howden-Chapman & Elaine Gyde, 2024. "Multiple Roles of Green Space in the Resilience, Sustainability and Equity of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, July.
    16. Charlotte Jelleyman & Julia McPhee & Mariana Brussoni & Anita Bundy & Scott Duncan, 2019. "A Cross-Sectional Description of Parental Perceptions and Practices Related to Risky Play and Independent Mobility in Children: The New Zealand State of Play Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Shortt, Niamh K. & Ross, Chris, 2021. "Children's perceptions of environment and health in two Scottish neighbourhoods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    18. Min Jee Nikki Han & Mi Jeong Kim, 2018. "A Critical Review of Child-Friendly Environments, Focusing on Children’s Experiential Perspectives on the Physical World for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
    19. Lisa Wilderink & Ingrid Bakker & Albertine J. Schuit & Jacob C. Seidell & Carry M. Renders, 2021. "Involving Children in Creating a Healthy Environment in Low Socioeconomic Position (SEP) Neighborhoods in The Netherlands: A Participatory Action Research (PAR) Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-16, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16968-:d:1006475. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.