Time-activity-exposure patterns and relevant settings for children

Sources: Hulsman-Dohmen, M. E. (2025). Children’s Mental Health and the Environment: Examining the role of activity patterns and environmental noise exposure. (Dissertation TU/e), Built Environment

Level of evidence: Direct/suggestive

Where	The Netherlands
Who	231 participants
What	Field study. Activity diary and GPS tracking for 7 days, supplemented with a survey (mental health, social environment, environmental perception/satisfaction) Limitations: Small sample sizes per age group with low representation, predominantly high SES
Findings	Activity settings are active determinants of child development. Their influence on mental health and cognition arises from the interaction between environmental qualities, social relationships, and subjective perception. -       The home (own and that of others) and the neighborhood remain important throughout childhood.  -       Activity diversity and autonomy increase with age, enhancing both opportunity and vulnerability.Younger children (0–7) spend most time in supervised, home-based activities. -       Older children and adolescents engage more in unsupervised neighborhood and peer-based settings. This independence facilitates social competence and cognitive flexibility, yet introduces greater exposure to environmental stressors. -       Adolescents showed increases in sedentary indoor behavior and reduced physical activity, factors linked to lower well-being. -       Noise exposure levels are highly variable, this is driven by activity diversity, number of people present, urbanization, and indoor vs outdoor acoustics. -       Time spent in the neighborhood, time spent on social activities and time spent using media (screen time) are related to both mental health scales of social indicators. They may therefore be a source for health inequalities. -       Amount, satisfaction with, and usage of greenspace in relation to mental health showed mixed evidence of an effect of  green space  on health effects on risk of mental health (SDQ, KINDL); -       No strong direct impacts from sound exposure on risk of  mental health as measured by SDQ and KINDL , but evidence for sound perception (noise sensitivity, annoyance, sleep disturbance)
Recommendations	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. During middle childhood and adolescence, supportive environments enabling safe autonomy (e.g., accessible green spaces, community areas) are critical