Edgar National Centre for Diabetes and Obesity Research, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011 Apr 27;8:38. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-38.
Previous work has suggested that the number of permanent play facilities in school playgrounds and school-based policies on physical activity can influence physical activity in children. However, few comparable studies have used objective measures of physical activity or have had little adjustment for multiple confounders.
Physical activity was measured by accelerometry over 5 recess periods and 3 full school days in 441 children from 16 primary schools in Dunedin, New Zealand. The number of permanent play facilities (swing, fort, slide, obstacle course, climbing wall etc) in each school playground was counted on three occasions by three researchers following a standardized protocol. Information on school policies pertaining to physical activity and participation in organized sport was collected by questionnaire.
Measurement of school playgrounds proved to be reliable (ICC 0.89) and consistent over time. Boys were significantly more active than girls (P < 0.001), but little time overall was spent in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Boys engaged in MVPA for 32 (SD 17) minutes each day of which 17 (10) took place at school compared with 23 (14) and 11 (7) minutes respectively in girls. Each additional 10-unit increase in play facilities was associated with 3.2% (95% CI 0.0-6.4%) more total activity and 8.3% (0.8-16.3%) more MVPA during recess. By contrast, school policy score was not associated with physical activity in children.
The number of permanent play facilities in school playgrounds is associated with higher physical activity in children, whereas no relationship was observed for school policies relating to physical activity. Increasing the number of permanent play facilities may offer a cost-effective long-term approach to increasing activity levels in children.
先前的研究表明，学校操场中永久性游乐设施的数量和学校有关体育活动的政策可以影响儿童的体育活动量。然而，很少有类似的研究使用客观的体育活动测量指标，或者对多种混杂因素进行了很少的调整。
在新西兰达尼丁的 16 所小学中，有 441 名儿童在 5 个课间休息时间和 3 个完整的上学日期间使用加速计进行了体育活动测量。由 3 位研究人员按照标准化协议，在 3 次不同时间对每所学校操场中的永久性游乐设施（秋千、堡垒、滑梯、障碍赛道、攀岩墙等）数量进行了计数。通过问卷调查收集了与体育活动和有组织运动参与相关的学校政策信息。
对学校操场的测量结果证明是可靠的（ICC 0.89），且随时间具有一致性。男孩的活跃度显著高于女孩（P < 0.001），但整体上只有很少的时间用于中高强度体育活动（MVPA）。男孩每天有 32 分钟（SD 17）的 MVPA，其中 17 分钟（10）发生在学校，而女孩分别为 23 分钟（14）和 11 分钟（7）。游乐设施每增加 10 个单位，总活动量就会增加 3.2%（95%CI 0.0-6.4%），课间休息时的 MVPA 就会增加 8.3%（0.8-16.3%）。相比之下，学校政策评分与儿童的体育活动量无关。
学校操场中永久性游乐设施的数量与儿童更高的体育活动量有关，而与学校有关体育活动的政策无关。增加永久性游乐设施的数量可能是一种具有成本效益的长期方法，可提高儿童的活动水平。
