Posted: May 26th, 2009

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published the following statement.

The Built Environment: Designing Communities to Promote Physical Activity in Children

Committee on Environmental Health
Published online May 26, 2009
PEDIATRICS Vol. 123 No. 6 June 2009, pp. 1591-1598 (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0750), http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/6/1591

“An estimated 32% of American children are overweight, and physical inactivity contributes to this high prevalence of overweight. This policy statement highlights how the built environment of a community affects children’s opportunities for physical activity. Neighborhoods and communities can provide opportunities for recreational physical activity with parks and open spaces, and policies must support this capacity. Children can engage in physical activity as a part of their daily lives, such as on their travel to school. Factors such as school location have played a significant role in the decreased rates of walking to school, and changes in policy may help to increase the number of children who are able to walk to school. Environment modification that addresses risks associated with automobile traffic is likely to be conducive to more walking and biking among children. Actions that reduce parental perception and fear of crime may promote outdoor physical activity. Policies that promote more active lifestyles among children and adolescents will enable them to achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. By working with community partners, pediatricians can participate in establishing communities designed for activity and health.”

Recommendations for Government

“1. Pass and promote laws and regulations to create new or expand existing efforts to promote active living. Federal programs can incentivize states to incorporate these principles into planning and zoning standards. State and local governments should examine planning and zoning efforts to ensure that children’s ability to walk, play, and get to school safely are a top priority.

“2. Create and maintain playgrounds, parks, and green spaces within communities as well as the means to access them safely. Prioritize resources to low-income neighborhoods to ensure that all children and adolescents have access to safe and desirable opportunities for play and active lifestyles. Funding should also be prioritized to support specific evidence-based goals, such as building sidewalks in new and existing neighborhoods to create safe corridors to schools and neighborhood parks.

“3. Promote legislation and fund programs that allow communities to create programs and environmental improvements to neighborhoods that can support children’s active commuting to school. Consider children’s ability for active transportation to school in the process of determining the location of a school.

“4. Fund research on the impact of the built environment at neighborhood and community levels on the promotion of overall health and active lifestyles for children and families.

“5. Serve as a model for communities. Whenever possible, new government buildings should be sited within walking distance of public transportation, walking trails, and residential areas to promote active living. “

“The City Project supports the AAP’s policy statement recognizing the impact of the built environment on helping children and youths move more, eat well, stay healthy, and do their best in school and in life. Children of color living in poverty tend to have the worst access to parks and school fields, and suffer from higher levels of child obesity. We are committed to working with diverse allies to create healthy, livable communities for all,” according to Robert Garcia, Executive Director and Counsel of The City Project.

According to UCLA’s Dr. Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Environmental Health Sciences: “This is a very important statement. This is the first time a health organization has made such an authoritative and direct statement about the healthfulness or hazards of the design of communities in which children grow up. It is professionally and artfully written, and accessible to all readers. The statement represents AAP policy. The statement should be adopted by other health organizations, as well as planning, design, environmental, community and policy groups.”

Visit The City Project’s web site to read more about healthy parks, schools, and communities, and about the campaign to enforce physical education requirements in public schools.