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Peer-reviewedCC BYScientific Reports

Germany’s youth city versus rural dwellers engage in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

  • Markus Reichert1
  • Carina Nigg2
  • Janis Fiedler2
  • Sarah Brüßler2
  • Alexander Burchartz2
  • Darko Jekauc2
  • Matthias F. Limberger2
  • Janina Krell-Roesch2
  • Birte von Haaren-Mack2
  • Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer2
  • Claudia Niessner2
  • Jasper Schipperijn3
1 more authors
  • Alexander Woll2
  1. 1Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Salzburg
  2. 2Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  3. 3Department of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark
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Abstract

Rapid urbanization poses the question how city living impacts human physical activity, especially in the population of vulnerable youth. This study aimed to examine urban–rural differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children and adolescents in Germany in a large German national study, across two independent samples (Discovery study: N = 2734; Replication study: N = 1196) of children and adolescents (6–17 years), with accelerometer-assessed MVPA, and across two different urbanicity assessments. In both studies, city youth engaged in more total MVPA than rural youth and were more likely to comply with the physical activity guidelines of the World Health Organization. While city living and total MVPA were independent of age and gender, age groups differed regarding physical activity guideline compliance. These results point towards a potential positive implication of urbanization for physical activity and suggest actions to target rural areas for physical activity promotion, if findings are validated towards causality in future studies.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{reichert2026germanys,
  title = {{Germany’s youth city versus rural dwellers engage in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity}},
  author = {Markus Reichert and Carina Nigg and Janis Fiedler and Sarah Brüßler and Alexander Burchartz and Darko Jekauc and Matthias F. Limberger and Janina Krell-Roesch and Birte von Haaren-Mack and Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer and Claudia Niessner and Jasper Schipperijn and Alexander Woll},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-61980-y},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61980-y},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Germany’s youth city versus rural dwellers engage in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
AU  - Markus Reichert
AU  - Carina Nigg
AU  - Janis Fiedler
AU  - Sarah Brüßler
AU  - Alexander Burchartz
AU  - Darko Jekauc
AU  - Matthias F. Limberger
AU  - Janina Krell-Roesch
AU  - Birte von Haaren-Mack
AU  - Ulrich W. Ebner-Priemer
AU  - Claudia Niessner
AU  - Jasper Schipperijn
AU  - Alexander Woll
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-61980-y
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61980-y
AB  - Rapid urbanization poses the question how city living impacts human physical activity, especially in the population of vulnerable youth. This study aimed to examine urban–rural differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children and adolescents in Germany in a large German national study, across two independent samples (Discovery study: N = 2734; Replication study: N = 1196) of children and adolescents (6–17 years), with accelerometer-assessed MVPA, and across two different urbanicity assessments. In both studies, city youth engaged in more total MVPA than rural youth and were more likely to comply with the physical activity guidelines of the World Health Organization. While city living and total MVPA were independent of age and gender, age groups differed regarding physical activity guideline compliance. These results point towards a potential positive implication of urbanization for physical activity and suggest actions to target rural areas for physical activity promotion, if findings are validated towards causality in future studies.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -