Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Dec 27;19(1):250.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010250.

Associations between Park and Playground Availability and Proximity and Children's Physical Activity and Body Mass Index: The BEACH Study

Javier Molina-García  1   2 , Cristina Menescardi  1   2 , Isaac Estevan  1   2 , Ana Queralt  2   3
Affiliations

Associations between Park and Playground Availability and Proximity and Children's Physical Activity and Body Mass Index: The BEACH Study

Javier Molina-García et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the availability and proximity to parks and playgrounds and physical activity (PA). Moreover, the accessibility to parks and playgrounds and its association with active commuting to/from school (ACS) and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed. The sample was composed of children aged 6-12 years old from the BEACH (Built Environment and Active CHildren) study in Valencia, Spain. The availability and proximity to parks and playgrounds were calculated at different buffer sizes (250, 500, 1000 and 1250 m) using geographical information system data. PA out of school was assessed using accelerometers. Sociodemographics and ACS were measured with a parent questionnaire. Objectively measured weight and height were used to calculate BMI. Mixed linear regression analyses were conducted for each exposure variable, adjusting for sociodemographics, neighborhood walkability level, and participant clustering. The number of parks and playgrounds were positively associated with moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA (TPA); including light PA and MVPA, during weekdays, in different buffer sizes. A negative relationship between distance to the nearest playground and TPA during weekdays was found. In addition, the number of playgrounds was positively related to ACS in different buffer sizes, whereas park land area was negatively related to the BMI percentile. This study highlights the importance of assessing the availability and proximity to parks and playgrounds in children's neighborhoods when PA behavior and weight status are analyzed. Study findings may help policymakers when targeting interventions to promote health-enhancing behaviors in children.

Keywords: active commuting to school; body mass index; environment design; green spaces; neighborhood; obesity; parks; physical activity; playgrounds; walkability.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example of the accessibility to parks and playgrounds in a participant’s neighborhood using a 250 m street-network buffer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ortegon-Sanchez A., McEachan R.R.C., Albert A., Cartwright C., Christie N., Dhanani A., Islam S., Ucci M., Vaughan L. Measuring the Built Environment in Studies of Child Health-A Meta-Narrative Review of Associations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18:741. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010741. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Villanueva K., Pereira G., Knuiman M., Bull F., Wood L., Christian H., Foster S., Boruff B.J., Beesley B., Hickey S., et al. The Impact of the Built Environment on Health across the Life Course: Design of a Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study. BMJ Open. 2013;3:e002482. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002482. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ding D., Sallis J.F., Kerr J., Lee S., Rosenberg D.E. Neighborhood Environment and Physical Activity Among Youth A Review. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2011;41:442–455. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2011.06.036. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Racioppi F., Dora C., Rutter H. Urban Settings and Opportunities for Healthy Lifestyles: Rediscovering Walking and Cycling and Understanding Their Health Benefits. Built Environ. 2005;31:302–314. doi: 10.2148/benv.2005.31.4.302. - DOI
    1. van Loon J., Frank L.D., Nettlefold L., Naylor P.-J. Youth Physical Activity and the Neighbourhood Environment: Examining Correlates and the Role of Neighbourhood Definition. Soc. Sci. Med. 2014;104:107–115. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.12.013. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources