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The rural/urban divide finding holds important implications for exposome research.
Future studies may need to take account of population density by forming distinct hypotheses or interpretations depending on whether the study population resides in a rural or urban setting.
Further research is needed on activity patterns, in particular focusing on the roles of social differences and structural inequities.
Places
The places where children grow up and spend their time have a huge influence on their development and well-being. “Places” is a holistic concept, and refers to multiple exposures linked to the physical and the social environment, and to psychological factors.
Equal Life research found that these cumulative exposures, linked to what children do, where they do it, and with whom, have more influence on mental well-being than single factors.
Time activity patterns, which refer to the proportion of time a child spends in each setting, is a further important consideration.
Perception is also key – as children’s perceptions shape their interactions with places, which in turn alters the nature of theirexposures and mental health outcomes.
Key Equal Life findings on “Places”
The urban/rural context
We found that exposure patterns vary between densely populated urban areas and less-populated rural areas. This means that certain exposures, such as green-space coverage, should be interpreted differently based on the urban or rural context. For example, the health impact of a small, well-designed park in an urban neighbourhood is different to a large expanse of agricultural land in a rural area.
Urban green space accessibility
Children’s access to urban greenspace is affected by neighbourhood layout, the size of the greenspace (smaller spaces are more accessible) and psychological factors such as attractiveness and motivation.
Noise
Chronic background noise exposure affects motivation and cognitive persistence, and over time can affect learning and emotional regulation.
Equal-Life refined and tested highly sensitive noise measurement models, increasing geographical coverage of noise maps, adjusting for different traffic densities between major and minor roads, effect on mental health, and outdoor to indoor noise propagation
Activities
Activity patterns (e.g., social versus solitary, indoor versus outdoor activities) are a strong predictor of well-being. This suggests that diverse, meaningful, and socially supportive activities may reduce the effects of harmful exposures, and foster resilience.
Call to action for researchers
Call to action for policy makers
Take a holistic approach – using the Equal Life conceptual model
Policies should consider a range of factors, including mobility, accessibility and social factors such as motivation. Policies should be age-specific and context-sensitive — combining urban design, public health, and education — to promote environments that nurture safe autonomy and social connection.
Green space
Urban green spaces should offer attractive, age-appropriate facilities, promote opportunities for social interactions, feel safe, and be easy to access on foot. Specific design recommendations include:
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Recognising the barrier effect of large greenspaces and prioritize smaller, accessible ones for children.
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Considering density and relevance of facilities (e.g., schools, playgrounds) and street networks around greenspaces.
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Mitigating children’s mobility restrictions caused by traffic and barriers.
Noise
Noise measurement techniques should be child centred, focusing on the impact on mental health and the time spent in different settings.
