Review of the influence of the built environment on early child development through an equity lens

Andrea Nathan, Gina Arena, Melanie Lowe, Karen Villanueva, Jasper Schipperin, Hayley Christian

Research output: Working paper

Abstract

This review aimed to provide an overview of the current evidence base on the influence of built
environment attributes on early child development through an equity lens and to present a conceptual framework of causal pathways to guide future research. A systematic approach was used to identify literature related to the neighbourhood built environment and early child health and development, with a focus on methodological approaches that provided insights into equity and mechanisms of causal inference. Findings reveal an increasing scope and volume of research examining associations between the built environment and early childhood development, particularly socio-emotional aspects. However, there is an absence of population-level mechanistic studies, leading to limited knowledge and contextual
evidence on how to intervene based on causal pathways. A socio-ecological framework for early child development has been developed to better guide future research to understand the underlying mechanisms through which the built environment influences early child development from an equity perspective.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationAustralia
Publisher Life Course Centre Working Paper
Number of pages23
Volume2024
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

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