Children in rural areas have better immune systems than urban counterparts, study shows

Research has shown that early life immune development is highly dependent on a child’s living environment and lifestyle factors

Children raised in rural environments who spend a lot of time outdoors with some exposure to animals grow to have better-regulated immune systems than their counterparts in urban environments, a new study by APC Microbiome Ireland (APC) and UCC has found.

The study examined how environmental factors are linked with the presence of atopic dermatitis or eczema across South African children aged between 15-35 months living in rural and urban areas.