Do rural children spend time in nature more often than urban children?

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As urbanization progresses, children are becoming increasingly estranged from nature. This has attracted widespread attention in developed countries because of its many negative effects on children's health and pro-nature behaviors. Yet research exploring this issue in developing countries, especially China, remains lacking.

To understand the characteristics of children's neighborhood nature activities and the factors associated with them in China, researchers conducted a systematic questionnaire survey of 900 children aged 10–12 in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Children provided information about the frequency, duration and location of their neighborhood nature activities, as well as their nature connectedness and environmental knowledge.

Rural children engaged in neighborhood nature activities less frequently than urban children, but their activity sites had a higher degree of naturalness. Boys spent more time on these activities than girls. Only children spent longer on neighborhood nature activities than children with siblings.

Children's nature connectedness and environmental knowledge were significant positive predictors of the frequency and location of their neighborhood nature activities. The researchers interpreted this as pointing to a new approach to promoting these activities.

Overall, encouraging children to take part in neighborhood nature activities is a complex issue that needs research in more regions and with larger samples.