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 The Richard Krajicek Foundation creates public playgrounds – known
as Krajicek playgrounds - in deprived neighborhoods there. Each
playground has a unique design based on the needs of the kids who
are most likely to use it. Each playground is supervised during the
busiest times, and coaches are responsible for organizing
activities.
Given the positive findings of the new study, researchers say that
in underprivileged neighborhoods, adding supervised activities and
equipment could increase use of regular playgrounds that are
underused and often left deserted.
“Providing playgrounds . . . that provide a motivating and socially
safe play environment will increase physical activity and will have
– little but relevant – impact on public health,” said lead author
Evert Verhagen of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam in an
email to Reuters Health.
“The problem of inactivity and . . . lifestyle related disorders is
greatest in deprived neighborhoods where safe play opportunities are
limited,” Verhagen said.
As reported in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, the
researchers randomly chose 10 of the 99 Krajicek playgrounds and 10
typical playgrounds as comparisons.
Specially trained college students observed the playgrounds for four
days to determine the number of children and their intensity of
physical activity at the playgrounds.
The researchers found Krajicek playgrounds empty about 12 percent of
the time. The regular playgrounds were empty about 29 percent of the
time.
About 13 percent of the kids on the Krajicek playgrounds were
engaged in vigorous physical activity, compared to about 10 percent
of kids on the regular playgrounds - a small difference.
The Krajicek playgrounds seemed to attract more boys than girls. The
researcher suspect boys are attracted to the playgrounds’ team
sports like soccer and basketball.
Some designs are probably better than others, Verhagen said, adding
that it’s important to take the local neighborhoods into
consideration.
“As an example, it would have little use to install a basketball
court in a neighborhood where the children are generally of younger
age,” he said. “In contrast, swings will appeal less to older
youth.”
Verhagen said the best way to match playgrounds to neighborhoods is
to talk to the residents.
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“Also make sure to include the social environment,” he said. “The
playground needs to be accessible to all and not only to a small
group of big kids who ‘own’ the playground - all users need to feel
safe there.”
The study is important but more research is needed to determine if
the design of the playground explains differences in use and
activity, said Peter Anthamatten, a researcher with the University
of Colorado at Denver.
The difference may be the equipment, or it could be the adult
supervision, said Anthamatten, who was not involved with the new
study.
“This is an important debate on how to improve physical activity
among schools and there is good research to investigate whether
lending equipment, organizing activities, renovating schoolyards, or
improving adult supervision is the most effective strategy,”
Anthamatten told Reuters Health in an email.
“What the authors can claim is that they observe meaningful
difference on their playgrounds with the program (equipment and
supervision) but they cannot say which part of the program makes the
difference,” he said, adding that playground renovation does tend to
be expensive.
“Whether it is worth the time and money for schools to renovate
their playgrounds will of course be driven by the needs and wealth
of individual communities,” Anthamatten said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1bTPJ2K
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, online March 15, 2015.
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