title: Understanding environmental attributes associated with ‘Wartezustand’ refugee children’s physical activity: studies of refugee accommodations in Berlin
Creators: name: Chen, Siqi
Publisher: name: UNSPECIFIED
Year: 2022

description: Studies have shown that refugee children often spend a considerable amount of time in refugee accommodations, where they face an uncertain transition (wartezustand). Such temporary settings make it difficult for refugee children to engage in physical activity (PA), which is essential for their health and development. It has been shown that a large proportion of refugee children are not sufficiently physically active. It is possible that the built environment around refugee children hinders them from being active. There is a strong evidence base for neighbourhood environmental attributes associated with non-refugee children’s PA. However, this evidence base is unlikely to apply to refugee settlements, as they are unique and different from typical neighbourhood environments. To facilitate refugee children’s PA, it is necessary to identify environmental factors in relevant contexts associated with their PA. The literature review of this dissertation identified a small number of studies on this topic. However, research is still at an early stage, and there is limited understanding of how diverse environmental attributes in and around refugee accommodations are related to children’s PA levels. The dissertation, therefore, examined the following three research questions, each focusing on distinct aspects of refugee settlements: a. What are micro-environmental characteristics of refugee accommodations associated with refugee children’s PA? b. What are meso- environmental characteristics around refugee accommodations associated with refugee children’s PA? c. What are perceived environmental barriers and facilitators of refugee children’s PA in/around refugee accommodations, from both parents’ and children’s perspectives? Six refugee accommodations in Berlin were selected as primary study sites. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to investigate the abovementioned research questions. For research questions a and b, space syntax was mainly used to investigate the spatial characteristics of refugee accommodation in spatial characteristics of micro environments (within refugee accommodation) and meso environments (around refugee accommodation). Refugee children’s overall PA time and identified PA spaces (internal, external, formal and informal) were collected with staff surveys, field trips and open source. For research question c, the detailed PA timelines of 15 refugee children (6 to 13 years old) and perceptions of PA environments by children and parents were captured by questionnaires and drawing workshops from one representative accommodation. Moreover, semi-structured interviews and photovoice sessions were conducted with three children to obtain an in-depth understanding of children’s perspectives of existing environments for PA. In micro environments, results indicated that PA space size was unrelated to children’s PA. The vital predictors were more straightforward spatial layouts, fewer floors, and accessible corridors that were easy to reach internal and external PA spaces. On the other hand, children spent less time on PA for accommodations with more complex spatial structures, floors, unconnected corridors, and difficulty reaching PA. In meso environments, children spent more time on PA, and more active PA spaces could be found if neighbourhoods had more investigated road segments and PA spaces located in highly accessible road networks. Refugee children and their parents identified micro environments as the centre of their daily PA; therefore, external and internal PA spaces were important for children’s PA. Moreover, having informal PA spaces in meso environments facilitated their PA, and children regarded them no different from formal PA spaces. However, most refugee parents expressed their concerns about the lack of safe, accessible neighbourhood playing fields. Building on the findings, evidence-based design strategies to help refugee children be more active in refugee accommodations were proposed. They include both micro-environmental attributes within refugee accommodation and meso-environmental attributes around refugee accommodation. They will inform policymakers, designers and refugee accommodation managers in retrofitting existing refugee facilities and designing/locating new refugee facilities, with a view to encouraging refugee children’s engagement in PA. Supplementary, spatial typologies (micro) and neighbourhood forms (meso) which supported children’s PA were summarised on this basis, to which related-participators can evaluate existing buildings (micro) or location choice (meso) for refugee accommodation purposes.