Pupils' use of school outdoor play settings across seasons and its relation to sun exposure and physical activity

Abstract

Background Long outdoor stay may cause hazardous exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun even at high latitudes as in Sweden (Spring to Autumn). On the other hand, long outdoor stay is a strong predictor of primary school children´s free mobility involving moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). UV‐protective outdoor environments enable long outdoor stay. We investigated the concurrent impact of different school outdoor play settings upon pupils´ sun exposure and levels of physical activity across different ages, genders, and seasons. Method During 1 week each in September, March, and May, UVR exposure and MVPA were measured in pupils aged 7‐11 years. Erythemally effective UVR exposure was measured by polysulphone film dosimeters and MVPA by accelerometers. Schoolyard play was recorded on maps, and used areas defined as four play settings (fixed play equipment, paved surfaces, sport fields, and green settings), categorized by season and gender. Results During the academic year, sport fields yielded the highest UVR exposures and generated most time in MVPA. In March, time outdoors and minutes in MVPA dropped and UVR exposures were suberythemal at all play settings. In May, green settings and fixed play equipment close to greenery promoted MVPA and protected from solar overexposure during long outdoor stays. Conclusion More outdoor activities in early spring are recommended. In May, greenery attractive for play could protect against overexposure to UVR and stimulate both girls and boys to vigorous play.

Adolescent outdoor life and well-being

“…Given the prominent role seasons play in the Nordic countries, seasonal variation has received little attention in relation to adolescent outdoor life. The study revealed that adolescents spent significantly more time outdoors during spring/summer compared to autumn/winter, which is in line with the well-documented decline in outdoor activity and physical activity during colder months (Pagels et al, 2020;Zheng et al, 2021). Nonetheless, there was a significant positive association between perceived environmental quality and well-being, even during autumn/winter.…”

Associations between Amount of Recess, Physical Activity, and Cardiometabolic Traits in U.S. Children

“…However, grip strength has been associated with schoolyard size or equipment type (26,27); an intervention that modified the outdoor space led to changes in grip strength (28). Similarly, where children play outdoors moderates the relationship with vitamin D level (29), whereas environmental features like greenery or air pollution may be important to capture for blood pressure or C-reactive protein, respectively (6,30). Capturing PA type and intensity may be important as vigorous-intensity activity and unusual strain distributions that are afforded during recess are integral to the modification of bone mineral content (4), and anthropometrics have been related to moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (31).…”

“…Focusing on the November 1 to April 30 period may have weakened associations between recess provision and some outcomes; for example, outdoor time is not the primary source of vitamin D during this period, and shorter daylight hours reduce opportunity for outdoor time outside school (29). This temporal restriction also reduced our sample size, and our inclusion of effect sizes revealed that recess provision may have only small associations, which we would be underpowered to detect.…”

“…level (29), whereas environmental features like greenery or air pollution may be important to capture for blood pressure or C-reactive protein, respectively (6,30). Capturing PA type and intensity may be important as vigorous-intensity activity and unusual strain distributions that are afforded during recess are integral to the modification of bone mineral content (4), and anthropometrics have been related to moderate-to vigorous-intensity PA (31).…”