A1 Journal article (refereed)
Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development (2023)
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). (2023). Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development. Nature, 615(7954), 874-883. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05772-8
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)
Journal or series: Nature
ISSN: 0028-0836
eISSN: 1476-4687
Publication year: 2023
Publication date: 29/03/2023
Volume: 615
Issue number: 7954
Pages range: 874-883
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05772-8
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/86545
Publication is parallel published: https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn%3Anbn%3Ase%3Ahis%3Adiva-22407
Abstract
Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1,2,3,4,5,6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.
Keywords: children (age groups); young people; physical development; length; height growth; body mass index; growing environment; places of residence; countryside; towns and cities; international comparison
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2023
Preliminary JUFO rating: 3