Ambient environmental conditions and active outdoor play in the context of climate change: A systematic review and meta-synthesis

Lee, E.-Y., Park, S., Kim, Y.-B., Liu, H., Mistry, P., Nguyen, K., Oh, Y., James, M.E., Lam, S., Lannoy, L. de, Larouche, R., Manyanga, T., Morrison, S.A., Prince, S.A., Ross-White, A., Vanderloo, L.M., Wachira, L.-J. and Tremblay, M.S. 2025. Ambient environmental conditions and active outdoor play in the context of climate change: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Environmental Research.

Background: Ambient environmental conditions, both influenced by and contribute to climate change, is affecting many aspects of daily life, including active and playful lifestyle activities. This systematic review and qualitative synthesis investigated the association(s) between ambient environmental conditions and active outdoor play across the lifespan.

Methods: Seven databases were used to identify studies measuring ambient environmental conditions (meteorological conditions, atmospheric pressure, land-use/environmental factors) and its associations (null, favorable, unfavorable) with active outdoor play. Narrative synthesis and meta-synthesis were performed.

Results: Results across 44 studies encompassed 74,423 individuals, 530,142 observations/counts, and 2,029 households. 91% of studies were derived from high-income countries. The average duration of active outdoor play varied by age groups of early years (0–5 years,133.2 min/day), children (6–12 years, 153.2 min/day), adults (18–64 years, 97.2 min/day), and older adults (65+ years, 47.1 min/day). Meteorological (null), atmospheric (unfavorable), and land-use/environmental (unfavorable) factors were associated with active outdoor play (n = 33 studies). Three studies indicated the potential negative impact of active outdoor play on the environment (unfavorable). Grounded in social-ecological resilience theory, deductive coding was applied to categorize outdoor type, play type, impact of climate change on active outdoor play or vice versa, adaptation, and resilience.

Conclusion: This review provides a comprehensive overview of current evidence on associations between ambient environmental conditions and active outdoor play in the context of climate change. The findings offer insights into how a changing climate may influence opportunities for active outdoor play and inform strategies to promote resilient outdoor play practices.