Peer-reviewed article
Iranian version of child health-friendly neighbourhood checklist: an application in Tehran.
Akhbari P, Keshavarz Mohammadi N, Zayeri F, Hakimian P, Ramezankhani A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study assessed how child-friendly neighbourhoods in Tehran are for children under 6 years old using a locally validated checklist. Researchers evaluated ten neighbourhoods across six dimensions including green spaces, recreational facilities, healthcare centres and kindergartens. The findings showed that while accessibility to services was strong at 94%, neighbourhoods scored poorly on green spaces and aesthetics (57.2%), indicating significant room for improvement in urban planning to better support young children's health.
Key points
- Accessibility to kindergartens and cultural centres achieved the highest score at 94%
- Green spaces, parks and neighbourhood aesthetics scored lowest at 57.2%
- Neighbourhood safety scored 73.5% and security scored 66.8%
- Aesthetics of green spaces (32.2%) and kindergarten facilities (38%) were the lowest-scoring components
- The study used a locally validated Iranian Child Health-Friendly Neighbourhood checklist adapted to local context
Limitations
This is a pilot study using convenience sampling from only ten neighbourhoods in Tehran, so findings may not represent all urban areas in Iran or other contexts. The study assessed neighbourhood conditions but does not measure actual health outcomes or impacts on children's well-being.
Abstract
Background Limited studies in Iran have assessed child health-friendly neighbourhood domains or examined the extent to which neighbourhoods support the health of children under 6 years of age. This study aimed to assess the status of child health-friendly neighbourhood domains in selected districts of Tehran using a previously designed and locally validated tool, with a focus on identifying neighbourhood strengths and weaknesses. Methods This pilot study was conducted between April and July 2023 in Tehran. 10 neighbourhoods from five districts were selected using convenience random sampling. Neighbourhoods were assessed using the Iranian Child Health-Friendly Neighbourhood checklist. Six dimensions-green spaces and parks, recreational centres, cultural centres, passages and streets, healthcare centres and kindergartens-were evaluated across five domains: facilities and services, accessibility, security, safety and aesthetics and view. Descriptive statistics, including means and frequencies, were used for data analysis. Results Accessibility achieved the highest overall score (94%), particularly for kindergartens and cultural centres. The lowest scores were observed in green spaces and parks and in the domain of aesthetics and view (both 57.2%). Neighbourhood safety and security were scored 73.5% and 66.8%, respectively. The aesthetics and view of green spaces and parks (32.2%) and facilities and services in kindergartens (38%) were identified as the lowest-scoring components. Based on the design of the tool, the aim was to identify neighbourhood strengths and weaknesses; therefore, no predefined criteria were applied to classify neighbourhoods as child-friendly or not. Conclusions Despite some strengths, the overall status of the assessed neighbourhoods indicates a need for targeted improvements to better support and promote children's health. The integration of field observation, a locally validated assessment tool and a focus on children under 6 years of age provides practical evidence to inform urban planning and health promotion policies aimed at creating safer and more child-friendly neighbourhoods.