An Assessment of Schoolyard Features and Behavior Patterns in Children’s Utilization and Physical Activity

Anthamatten, Peter; Brink, Lois; Kingston, Beverly; Kutchman, Eve; Lampe, Sarah; Nigg, Claudio R.

doi:10.1123/jpah.2012-0064

Cited by 44 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…A study of primary school children in Germany showed that attractively designed school playgrounds were positively related to girls’ regular overall physical activity (Möhrle et al 2015). Additionally, Anthamatten et al (2014) showed that girls were more likely to play in playground zones with equipment while boys were more active in those without equipment, such as playing field areas. Other studies have also observed gendered activities in playgrounds (Paechter and Clark 2007): Girls preferred playing with, at or inside play objects like huts, and boys preferred ball games such as soccer and tended to occupy larger spaces than girls did.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Playground usage and physical activity levels of children based on playground spatial features

Reimers

Knapp

2017

J Public Health

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AimBeing outdoors is one of the strongest correlates of physical activity in children. Playgrounds are spaces especially designed to enable and foster physical activity in children. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the spatial features of public playgrounds and the usage and physical activity levels of children playing in them.Subjects and methodsA quantitative, observational study was conducted of ten playgrounds in one district of a middle-sized town in Germany. Playground spatial features were captured using an audit instrument and the playground manual of the town. Playground usage and physical activity levels of children were assessed using a modified version of the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth. Negative binomial models were used to analyze the count data.ResultsThe number of children using the playgrounds and the number of children actively playing in them were higher in those with more varied facilities and without naturalness. Girls played more actively in playgrounds without multi-purpose areas. Cleanliness, esthetics, play facility quality, division of functional areas and playground size were not related to any outcome variable.ConclusionPlayground spatial features are related to playground usage and activity levels of the children in the playgrounds. Playgrounds should offer a wide variety of play facilities and provide spaces for diverse play activities to respond to the needs of large numbers of different children and to provide activity-friendly areas enabling their healthy development.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Playground usage and physical activity levels of children based on playground spatial features

Reimers

Knapp

2017

J Public Health

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“…Another study of schools in New Zealand found an association between a greater number of fixed play equipment on school grounds and higher levels of physical activity in children [49]. Thus, outdoor play equipment may increase children’s physical activity at school [50], although there is some evidence that girls are more likely than boys to utilize playground equipment [51]. However, given that these previous studies were conducted in high-income countries, additional information is needed to evaluate outdoor play equipment and children’s physical activity within a low-middle income country like India.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evaluation of outdoor school environments to promote physical activity in Delhi, India

et al. 2017

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BackgroundIncreasing physical activity in children is an important public health goal in India. Schools may be a target for physical activity promotion, but little is known about outdoor school environments. The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics of the surrounding outdoor school environments that may promote children’s physical activity in Delhi, India.MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, we conducted a structured observation of outdoor school environments in a random sample of 16 private schools in Delhi, India using the Sport, Physical activity and Eating behavior: Environmental Determinants in Young people (SPEEDY) audit tool. The SPEEDY school audit measured six categories, including (1) access to the school; (2) surrounding area; (3) school grounds; (4) aesthetics; (5) usage; and (6) overall environment. Six trained data collectors conducted the audit independently in the summer of 2012 while schools were in session.ResultsOf the 16 schools, one had cycle lanes separated from the road while two schools had cycle lanes on the road. Two schools had pavement on both sides of the road for pedestrians. One school had marked pedestrian crossings. No schools had school warning signs, road safety signs, or route signs for cyclists that would help calm vehicular traffic. Fifteen schools had playground equipment and nine had courts, an assault course (a sequence of equipment designed to be used together), and a quadrangle (an enclosed or semi-enclosed courtyard) for outdoor physical activity. The majority of schools were shielded from the surrounding area by hedges, trees, or fences (n = 13) and were well maintained (n = 10). One school had evidence of vandalism. Two schools had graffiti, seven had litter, and 15 had murals or art.ConclusionsThe majority of schools did not have infrastructure to support physical activity, such as cycle lanes, marked pedestrian crossings, or traffic calming mechanisms such as school warning signs. However, most had playground equipment, courts, and outdoor play areas. Nearly all were free from vandalism and many had murals or art. These results provide preliminary data for future work examining outdoor school environments, active transport to school, and children’s physical activity in India.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3987-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…Fourth, because we used vertical accelerations of the hip to assess PA, it is likely that the intensity (energy expenditure) of PA involving substantial upper-body movements, such as climbing, was underestimated (Lee and Shiroma, 2013). Lastly, we do acknowledge that landscape features, such as areas with a naturalistic feel and areas with different surfaces, may influence the PA level of children (Anthamatten et al, 2014; Fjørtoft, 2004). Because of the risk of overfitting the regression models, we chose not to adjust for this.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, studies indicate that girls and boys use different areas of their school's outdoor play area (SOPA) when being physically active (Fjørtoft et al, 2009; Anthamatten et al, 2014), that PA levels are higher in areas with a naturalistic feel (Fjørtoft, 2004) and that colorful playground markings can increase recess PA (Blaes et al, 2013). Both the size of SOPA and the availability of permanent play facilities (PPF) are basic components of a schoolyard design, and studies indicate that both factors may be important to stimulate PA (D'Haese et al, 2013; Escalante et al, 2012; Nielsen et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Permanent play facility provision is associated with children's time spent sedentary and in light physical activity during school hours: A cross-sectional study

Dalene

Anderssen

Ekelund

et al. 2016

Preventive Medicine Reports

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Objective: To study the associations between: 1) number of permanent outdoor play facilities per pupil and 2) the size of the outdoor play area per pupil with sedentary time and physical activity (PA) during school hours in six-, nine-, and 15-year olds. We conducted a cross-sectional study of nationally representative samples of Norwegian six- (n = 1071), nine- (n = 1421) and 15-year-olds (n = 1106) in 2011 (the Physical Activity Among Norwegian Children Study). The participation rates were 56.4%, 73.1% and 57.8% for six-, nine- and 15-year olds, respectively. We assessed PA objectively for seven consecutive days using accelerometers, the size of a school's outdoor play area (SOPA) using an online map service and the permanent play facility (PPF) provision using a standardized form during school site visits. We successfully measured SOPA and PPF in 99 schools, from which 3040 participants provided valid accelerometer data. We used generalized least-squares random-effects models with robust variance estimation to assess associations. Our results indicate that better provision of permanent play facilities may reduce sedentary time and increase time spent in light PA among six-year-olds. Permanent play facility provision was not associated with sedentary time or PA among nine- and 15-year-olds. Associations found between outdoor play area size, physical activity and sedentary time were negligible. Future research should investigate what types of permanent play facilities may be associated with physical activity in both children and adolescents.

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An Assessment of Schoolyard Features and Behavior Patterns in Children’s Utilization and Physical Activity

Abstract: This work suggests that the inclusion or omission of specific playground features may have an impact on the way that children use the spaces.

Cited by 44 publications

References 37 publications

Playground usage and physical activity levels of children based on playground spatial features

Playground usage and physical activity levels of children based on playground spatial features

An evaluation of outdoor school environments to promote physical activity in Delhi, India

Permanent play facility provision is associated with children's time spent sedentary and in light physical activity during school hours: A cross-sectional study

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