Longitudinal associations between home and neighbourhood vegetation and outdoor physical activity: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

The transition from childhood into adolescence marks a significant window for physical activity behaviour, which access to local vegetation can support. However, evidence is mixed with few longitudinal studies. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between home yard and neighbourhood vegetation and children’s outdoor physical activity, and whether this relationship varied by socioeconomic status.

Higher percentages of home yard vegetation were associated with increased daily minutes of outdoor physical activity, however, this association attenuated after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Neighbourhood vegetation was not associated with outdoor physical activity. Speaking a language other than English at home was associated with less physical activity among children living in the least disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The relationship between vegetation and children’s physical activity was strongly influenced by neighbourhood socioeconomic status and household characteristics. While access to vegetation, particularly within the home yard, may support children’s outdoor physical activity, its effects were not independent of broader social determinants. Policies should combine greening initiatives with strategies that address social, cultural, and structural barriers to equitable physical activity participation in youth.