Article,
Association between preschooler outdoor play and home yard vegetation as measured by high resolution imagery: Findings from the PLAYCE study
Contributors
Robinson T.
0000-0003-2638-958X
(Corresponding author)
[1]
Dhamrait G.
0000-0002-5191-211X
[1]
[2]
Murray K.
0000-0002-8856-6046
[2]
Boruff B.
0000-0001-6693-0671
[2]
Duncan J.
0000-0001-9752-1002
[2]
Schipperijn J.
0000-0002-6558-7610
[3]
Christian H.
0000-0001-8486-5746
[1]
[2]
Affiliations
- [1] Telethon Kids Institute [NORA names: Australia; Oceania; OECD];
- [2] University of Western Australia [NORA names: Australia; Oceania; OECD];
- [3] University of Southern Denmark [NORA names: SDU University of Southern Denmark; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]
Abstract
Outdoor play in the home yard is an important source of physical activity for many preschoolers. This study investigated if home yard size and vegetation are related to preschooler outdoor play time. High-resolution remotely sensed data were used to distinguish between types of vegetation coverage in the home yard. Shrub and tree cover, and yard size, were positively associated with outdoor play. Following stratification by socio-economic status (SES - parent education), only tree cover was positively associated with preschooler outdoor play in low SES households. All types of vegetation cover were positively associated with preschooler outdoor play in higher SES households. This study highlights the importance of larger yard sizes and higher levels of vegetation for facilitating outdoor play in preschoolers.
