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      “Movement-enhancing footpaths” – A natural experiment on street design and physical activity in children in a deprived district of Leipzig, Germany

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          Abstract

          Despite the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA), only 26% of children in Germany meet the WHO’s recommendations. Because active play contributes to PA and is accepted by families, the creation of “playable” environments could promote PA. This study is a natural experiment that was conducted to investigate whether slight changes in the physical environment can increase PA in children. In autumn 2016, 140 students from two primary schools located in a deprived district of Leipzig (Germany) gathered ideas on PA-promoting street designs. After protracted negotiations with the city administration, two footpaths were decorated with colored markings (hopscotch grids, labyrinths, “mirror me”) in September 2019. 48 observations were made before (August 2019) and after (September/October 2019) the implementation using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). Age, gender, activity level, bike use, and interactions with the colored markings were recorded. A total of 5455 individuals (including 1099 cyclists) were observed. Almost one fifth of the observed children (0 to 12 years) interacted with the markings. There was a slight increase in vigorous activity in all observed individuals after the implementation (2.9% vs. 6.4%, p < 0.001). The chance for vigorous activity was higher on decorated footpaths (OR 2.45, CI 1.54–3.89, p < 0.001), for children (OR 19.32, CI 13.07–28.56, p < 0.001), and on Sundays (OR 3.39, CI 2.33–4.94, p < 0.001). The participatory development and design of footpaths that support spontaneous active play “on the way” might be one component that can be used to support changes in children’s PA behaviors and social interactions.

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          Resurrecting free play in young children: looking beyond fitness and fatness to attention, affiliation, and affect.

          We have observed that the nature and amount of free play in young children has changed. Our purpose in this article is to demonstrate why play, and particularly active, unstructured, outdoor play, needs to be restored in children's lives. We propose that efforts to increase physical activity in young children might be more successful if physical activity is promoted using different language-encouraging play-and if a different set of outcomes are emphasized-aspects of child well-being other than physical health. Because most physical activity in preschoolers is equivalent to gross motor play, we suggest that the term "play" be used to encourage movement in preschoolers. The benefits of play on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development are explored.
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            Associations of objectively measured built-environment attributes with youth moderate-vigorous physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

            Understanding attributes of the built environment that influence children's and adolescents' habitual physical activity can inform urban design.
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              The effect of multicolor playground markings on children's physical activity level during recess.

              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. 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. A significant interaction (group x 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. 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.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Prev Med Rep
                Preventive Medicine Reports
                2211-3355
                04 September 2020
                December 2020
                04 September 2020
                : 20
                : 101197
                Affiliations
                [a ]Center for Research and Transfer (FTZ) at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK), Leipzig, Germany
                [b ]Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Germany
                [c ]Faculty of Education, University of Leipzig, Germany
                [d ]Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Mittweida, Germany
                [e ]Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK), Germany
                Author notes
                [* ]Corresponding author at: Center for Research and Transfer (FTZ) at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK), Eilenburger Straße 13, 04317 Leipzig, Germany. ulrike.igel@ 123456htwk-leipzig.de
                Article
                S2211-3355(20)30156-X 101197
                10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101197
                7495097
                1ed4c7ea-0f55-4043-81f2-cc67fb3e2cab
                © 2020 The Authors

                This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

                History
                : 17 April 2020
                : 29 July 2020
                : 25 August 2020
                Categories
                Short Communication

                physical activity,environment design,children,participatory planning,soparc

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