How can an agent-based model explore the impact of interventions on children’s physical activity in an urban environment?

Abstract

Insufficient physical activity (PA) among most children and adolescents is a global problem that is undermining the realisation of numerous developmental and health benefits. The aim of this study was to explore the potential impact of interventions on PA by using an agent-based model (ABM) simulating children’s daily activities in an urban environment. Three domains for interventions were explored: outdoor play, school physical education and active travel. Interventions increased children’s average daily moderate-to-vigorous PA by 2-13 min and reduced the percentage of children not meeting PA guidelines, from 34% to 10%-29%, depending on the intervention. Promotion of active travel and outdoor play benefited more those in a higher socio-economic position. Agents’ interactions suggested that: encouraging activity in diverse groups will reduce percentage of the least active in the population; and initiating outdoor events in neighbourhoods can generate an enhancing effect on children’s engagement in PA. The ABM provided measurable outcomes for interventions that are difficult to estimate using reductionist methods. We suggest that ABMs should be used more commonly to explore the complexity of the social-environmental PA system.