Splashpads, Swings, and Shade

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is a modifiable behaviour that can help curtail the increasing worldwide problem of childhood obesity. Appropriate recreational opportunities, including neighbourhood parks, are particularly important for promoting physical activity among children. Because children's use of parks is mainly under the influence of their parents, understanding parents' preferences is essential for creating the most inviting and usable park space to facilitate children's physical activity. Methods: Eighty-two intercept interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of parents/guardians watching their children at neighbourhood parks in London, Ontario. Parents/guardians were asked questions about how often they frequent the park, whether it is the closest to their residence, and their likes/dislikes for the park. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of the data were employed. Results: Interviewees attended their park of choice between 1-7 times per week with the average being 2.5 times per week. Only 49% of respondents frequented the park closest to their starting destination (home or daycare facility), and the majority travelled more than 4 km to get to the park. For those who chose to travel a significant distance to attend their park of choice, park location was not as important as the amenities they desired. Parents' main reasons for choosing parks were: water attractions, shade, swings, and cleanliness. Conclusions: The current study provides useful insights on park use with potentially important implications for increasing physical activity among children. Incorporating parents' preferences into strategies for creating or modifying city parks will help to ensure that limited public resources are being targeted most effectively in support of children's physical activity.

The Geography of Diabetes in London, Canada: The Need for Local Level Policy for Prevention and Management

“…At a community level, researchers have begun to highlight the physical environment in city and area planning as one approach to combat rising obesity and diabetes rates. Research on obesogenic environments (environments that encourage physical inactivity and poor eating habits), high-risk generations of children, and parent’s preferences for parks in the city of London stress the importance of neighbourhoods for one’s physical, social and mental well-being, and incorporating both the natural and built environment in city and area planning [ 27 – 30 ].…”

Is there an association between spatial access to parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada?

“…Additionally, this null finding supports the idea that average distance to parks/green space may not be an important feature of the built environment in communities like Calgary that are characterized by high car use. A recent Canadian study showed that, while 49% of parents reported frequenting the park closest to their home, the majority of respondents reported travelling more than 4 km to get to their desired park[ 60 ]. For those parents who chose to travel to a park, park location was not as important as park amenities[ 60 ].…”

A Study of Perceived Nature, Shade and Trees and Self-Reported Physical Activity in Denver

“…The presence of trees and natural features are common neighborhood characteristics that represent the quality of greenness and have been linked with PA behavior [16,17,31,32,33]. Shade is another facet of the quality of the natural environment but has mostly been studied within the parks and educational settings [34,35,36,37,38,39]. However, shade should be included in studies of nearby nature and PA, given that outdoor-based PA may carry some risks due to extreme heat, thermal discomfort [40], and harmful levels of UV exposure from the sun.…”