Preventive infrastructure and childhood health equity in Israel: socioeconomic and ethnic disparities in playground access and swimming instruction

These findings point to a shared structural mechanism behind injury inequalities: persistent underinvestment and institutional barriers that restrict access to preventive infrastructure in low-income and minority municipalities. Although playgrounds and swimming lessons are distinct domains, both exemplify how inequitable distribution of safety-enhancing resources produces measurable health risks. Addressing these gaps requires coordinated policy reforms that integrate public health, education, and urban planning; establish equity-weighted funding for preventive infrastructure; and institutionalize monitoring of child-safety environments. Equitable investment in prevention is essential for reducing injury and advancing child health equity in Israel.