Assessing the relationship between housing characteristics and children's independent mobility by PPGIS method.

Studies of reduced children's outdoor activity show that home range was the most important place for Children's Independent Mobility (CIM). The relationship between the characteristics of home range with CIM was investigated. But the research hypothesis is that CIM was not limited alone to the affordance of the environment around the home, and housing characteristics also influenced the child's tendency toward independent mobility. So the question is what is the relationship between housing characteristics and CIM? Physical, residential and neighborhood characteristics of housing were evaluated in relation to the CIM range. The research method was public participation in GIS (PPGIS) in order to achieve behavioral maps. The study was conducted with the participation of 360 children aged 12–14 and their parents in the city of Ilam, Iran. Each child, completed behavior maps in the ArcGIS v.10.1 with researcher help and housing characteristics questionnaire with parental assistance. The results of correlation and linear regression tests show that the relationship between housing characteristics and CIM. Reducing open and safe spaces along with reducing attractiveness and playfulness in housing areas have been the most important factors in reducing CIM. This result has been shown through three factors of physical, residential and neighborhood characteristics and fifteen variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]