What we build makes a difference – Mapping activating schoolyard features after renewal using GIS, GPS and accelerometers

Andersen, Henriette Bondo; Christiansen, Lars Breum; Pawlowski, Charlotte Skau; Schipperijn, Jasper

doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103617

Cited by 27 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Girls were also active using dancing facilities, multi-courts, nature-inspired elements, and a spiderweb, whereas boys also actively played in-between facilities and on obstacle trails. 39 This case-based analysis was not accomplished explicitly on the group of the least-active children to avoid very small samples sizes. To design schoolyards promoting low-activity children's recess PA, the next step in research should be to investigate what kind of play facilities motivates these children.…”

Section: Schoolyard Time and Pamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, it is one of the first intervention studies in this field using a combination of accelerometer and GPS. 19,39 In the current study, we used the combination of accelerometer, GPS, and GIS to determine the level of PA and the proportion of recess time spent outdoors in the schoolyard. It increased the validity of our findings, since most Danish children in the target group can choose whether they want to stay indoors or outdoors during recess.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Difference in Outdoor Time and Physical Activity During Recess After Schoolyard Renewal for the Least-Active Children

Pawlowski¹,

Andersen

Schipperijn³

2020

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

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Background: It remains unclear if schoolyard interventions “just” provide more opportunities for those children who are already active. The authors wanted to investigate schoolyard use and physical activity (PA) among the least-active children during recess following schoolyard renewals. Methods: An intervention study design with preresults and postresults comparison was used. Accelerometer and global positioning system data were collected at 6 Danish schools from 553 children at baseline and 439 after renewals (grades 4–9). Based on mean minutes of recess moderate to vigorous PA per child per school, the least-active children were defined as all children in the lowest activity quartile at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Results: One hundred and thirty-five children (70% girls) at baseline and 108 (76% girls) at follow-up were categorized as the least-active children. At follow-up they accumulated more time (12.1 min/d) and PA (4.4 min/d) in the schoolyard during recess compared with baseline. The difference in schoolyard PA found for the least-active children was relatively small compared with the difference for all children. Conclusions: Solely improving the physical schoolyard environment seemed to have limited impact on the least-active children’s PA. Future studies should investigate the complex interrelations between the least-active children and the entire schoolyard environment.

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Section: Schoolyard Time and Pamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Difference in Outdoor Time and Physical Activity During Recess After Schoolyard Renewal for the Least-Active Children

Pawlowski¹,

Andersen

Schipperijn³

2020

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On study days during recess (i.e., 30-minute period of unstructured play under teacher supervision), the cohort sample wore elastic belts around their waist equipped with a Qstarz BT-Q1000XT Global Positioning System (GPS) device (Qstarz Intl Co., Taipei, Taiwan) and an Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer (ActiGraph LLC, FL) to measure geographic location and physical activity levels, over time (38,39). We set sampling rates of 15 seconds for GPS devices and accelerometers (40,41). For the separate recess periods per grade, belt distribution began ve minutes before recess start, and belt collection occurred once teachers signaled recess end.…”

Section: Measurement Of Geographic Location and Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The location of green features will be joined to the time-matched device data, within GIS. Although previous studies have matched children's geographic location and physical activity levels over time (38)(39)(40)(41), this study enables assessment of a child's experienced heat index and physical activity level at any particular location.…”

Section: Time-matching Of Geographic Location Physical Activity Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of trees, gardens, and trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

Lanza

Alcazar²,

Hoelscher

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Low-income Latinx children in the United States are vulnerable to nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present baseline results of this project and its novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting.Methods: During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees.Results: In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0°F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4°F (air temperature = 33.8°C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1°F (air temperature = 37.9°C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November.Conclusions: We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.

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“…On study days during recess (i.e., 30-minute period of unstructured play under teacher supervision), the cohort sample wore elastic belts around their waist equipped with a Qstarz BT-Q1000XT Global Positioning System (GPS) device (Qstarz Intl Co., Taipei, Taiwan) and an Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer (ActiGraph LLC, FL) to measure geographic location and physical activity levels, over time (45,46). We set sampling rates of 15 seconds for GPS devices and accelerometers (47,48). For the separate recess periods per grade, belt distribution began ve minutes before recess start, and belt collection occurred once teachers signaled recess end.…”

Section: Measurement Of Geographic Location and Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

Lanza

Alcazar²,

Hoelscher

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Latinx children in the United States are at high risk for nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting, and a selection of baseline results.Methods: During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees.Results: In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0°F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4°F (air temperature = 33.8°C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1°F (air temperature = 37.9°C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November.Conclusions: We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.

show abstract

What we build makes a difference – Mapping activating schoolyard features after renewal using GIS, GPS and accelerometers

Cited by 27 publications

References 53 publications

Difference in Outdoor Time and Physical Activity During Recess After Schoolyard Renewal for the Least-Active Children

Difference in Outdoor Time and Physical Activity During Recess After Schoolyard Renewal for the Least-Active Children

Effects of trees, gardens, and trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

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