The effect of multicolor playground markings on children's physical activity level during recess

Abstract

Background. British children do not meet daily physical activity recommendations, and as yet no sustainable intervention has been reported to address their sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this investigation was twofold: First, to examine whether painting playgrounds with multicolored markings would increase the percent of recess time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) in girls and boys and second to quantify the contribution recess makes to national recommendations for young people's physical activity.Methods. MVPA and vigorous physical activity (VPA) were measured using short wave heart rate telemetry. Physical activity levels were compared before and after playgrounds were painted in 4 intervention schools and compared to 4 matched schools with unmarked playgrounds. Schools were situated in areas of deprivation. Ninety-nine children completed the study.Results. A significant interaction (group  time) was evident for MVPA and VPA. Time spent in MVPA and VPA increased significantly in intervention schools as a result of playground painting. Boys were more active than girls, and activity decreased with age, but neither difference reached significance.Conclusion. Multicolor playground markings can be a low-cost method of increasing children's daily physical activity levels in the short term. If these increases were sustained, then school playgrounds with multicolor markings would make a valuable contribution to physical activity recommendations for young people. D

Characteristics of School Campuses and Physical Activity Among Youth

“…Frequently, design guidelines break down school building area into separate calculations (e.g., gross area, net area, field house, lab space, classroom centers, administrative areas) (see, for instance, www.edfacilities.org), and studies of play spaces often account for physical site improvements (e.g., courts, fields) and supervision by school staff. 11,15,18 However, the methods of characterizing schools used in this study are easily replicable using data that are primarily publicly available, and therefore could be considered in future studies of schools and youth physical activity. These methods may also be expanded to the study of surrounding neighborhoods and physical activity levels outside of the school campus environment, thus looking at the broader roles that school and school sites play in influencing physical activity levels among youth.…”

“…A few additional studies have examined whether certain built or structural characteristics influence physical activity among elementary students, 18 older adults, 19 and preschoolers, 20 finding that more facilities and equipment and opportunities (e.g., classes) translated into increased activity levels.…”

The IDEFICS Intervention Toolbox - A Guide to Successful Obesity Prevention at Community Level

“…soccer goal posts, basketball hoops). This is found to be a sufficient stimulus for increasing children's school physical activity levels during recess and is also a method that is low in cost (Stratton & Mullan, 2005;Ridgers et al, 2007).…”

Examining School Grounds as a Place for Children’s Physical Activity Performance in Tehran

“…Furthermore, factors have been identified to encourage effective physical activity. These factors include the impact of the size and type of the schoolyard, fixed outdoor and extra equipment (Fjørtoft, Kristoffersen, & Sageie, 2009;Ozdemir & Yilmaz, 2008;Sallis et al, 2001;Verstraete, Cardon, De Clercq, & De Bourdeaudhuij, 2006), recess time in school (Ridgers, Carter, Stratton, & McKenzie, 2011;Ridgers, Stratton, Clark, Fairclough, & Richardson, 2006), green areas (Dyment, Bell, & Lucas, 2009;Lindholm, 1995;Sobel, 1993), improvements in school environment (Haug, Torsheim, Sallis, & Samdal, 2010), paintings in school ground (Ridgers, Stratton, Fairclough, & Twisk, 2007;Stratton & Mullan, 2005), availability of balls, and school size (Zask, van Beurden, Barnett, Brooks, & Dietrich, 2001). …”

“…In addition, some interventions attempt to fill the decline in children's outdoor play by implementing provision of game equipment, activity cards, sports (Lopez, Campbell, & Jennings, 2008;Verstraete et al, 2006), and physical playground structures (Ridgers et al, 2007), and school playground markings (Stratton & Mullan, 2005;Stratton, 2000). Generally, while these interventions foster structured outdoor play with specified locations and facilitate sports and fitness (Sener et al, 2008), it is necessary to examine interventions during recess that encourage unstructured and free play in school ground (Dyment et al, 2009;Dyment, 2008).…”