Still Separate, Still Unequal: Social Determinants of Playground Safety and Proximity Disparities in St. Louis

Abstract

Physical activity among youth is shaped by the natural and built environment within which they live; however, few studies have focused on assessing playground safety and proximity in detail as part of the built environment for youth physical activity. We analyzed data on 100 publicly accessible playgrounds from Play Across St. Louis, a community-partnered study of the built environment for youth physical activity. Outcomes included overall playground safety, maintenance, and construction scores; distance to nearest playground; and distance to nearest top playground. Independent variables included neighborhood % youth, % black residents, % owner-occupied units, and % vacant units. Playgrounds in the city have varying degrees of safety and proximity. Mean overall playground safety score was 67.0 % (CI = 63.5, 70.4). Neighborhood % youth and % black residents were inversely associated with overall playground safety (p = 0.03 and p < 0.01) and maintenance (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001). Mean distance to nearest playground was 638.1 and 1488.3 m to nearest top playground. Clusters of low safety scores were found in the northern and central areas while all high safety score clusters were found in the southern part of St. Louis. Public playground safety and proximity vary across St. Louis neighborhoods, especially by neighborhood demographics. Disparities in playground safety and proximity reveal an opportunity to develop community-wide interventions focused on playgrounds for youth activity. Further work is needed to examine the association between playground safety, proximity, and use and youth physical activity and weight.

Obesity Epidemiology Worldwide

“…39 In the context of that complex environment, social determinants of health include physical and social determinants. Examples of physical determinants of obesity include: 39 Green spaces and other natural elements of the environmentParks, buildings, sidewalks, bike lanes and other aspects of the built environment 40 Schools, recreation facilities & programs, and worksitesPhysical barriers limiting people with disabilities…”

Community and environment for physical activity among young people: a systematic review of the Report Card Brazil 2018

“…In addition, studies have shown that low levels of PA may be influenced by the lack of opportunities for facilities close to the residence of Brazilian youth 17,29 . However, a community context with options for promotion of PA (i.e., security, maintenance, proximity, park features) may contribute to changes in the behavior of different age groups, as observed in highincome countries 13,14,34,35 .…”

“…In this review, the environment outcome was defined by environmental attributes that are associated with PA in the community. We considered: spaces, facilities for PA or programs available, quality of spaces, facilities of the neighborhood, security (from crimes or traffic) and pollution (climate conditions or scattered garbage) 13,14 . These indicators can be evaluated with perceived or objective measures.…”

Failure to meet aerobic fitness standards among urban elementary students

“…Research team members conducted on-site evaluations of school environments during the 2014–2015 school year. Playground features and playground safety were quantified using an adapted version of the Play Across Boston (PAB) Facility Survey ( Arroyo-Johnson et al, 2016 ; Cradock et al, 2005 ). The overall safety score was calculated using 15 of the 25 national safety standards from the PAB Facility Survey, which included assessment of climbers (6-ft fall zone, surfacing, height, debris, rust, trip hazards, cracks/holes, entrapments, broken/missing parts, peeling/chipping paint, and snag hazards) and supervision (locking gates, adult presence, children in view on equipment and in crawlspace).…”