Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09111 Chemnitz, Germany.
School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 4702, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jun 28;15(7):1356. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071356.
Few studies have delved into the relationship of the social environment with children’s physical activity and outdoor play in public playgrounds by considering gender differences. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences and the relationship of the social environment with children’s physical activity and outdoor play in public playgrounds.
A quantitative, observational study was conducted at ten playgrounds in one district of a middle-sized town in Germany. The social environment, physical activity levels, and outdoor play were measured using a modified version of the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth.
In total, 266 observations of children (117 girls/149 boys) between four and 12 years old were used in this analysis. Significant gender differences were found in relation to activity types, but not in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The presence of active children was the main explanatory variable for MVPA. In the models stratified by gender, the presence of opposite-sex children was a significant negative predictor of MVPA in girls but not in boys.
The presence of active children contributes to children’s physical activity levels in public playgrounds. Girls’ physical activity seems to be suppressed in the presence of boys.
很少有研究通过考虑性别差异深入研究社会环境与儿童在公共游乐场的身体活动和户外活动之间的关系。本研究旨在探讨公共游乐场中社会环境与儿童身体活动和户外活动之间的性别差异和关系。
在德国一个中等城镇的一个区的十个游乐场进行了一项定量观察研究。使用青年娱乐活动观察系统的修订版来测量社会环境、身体活动水平和户外活动。
本分析共使用了 266 名 4 至 12 岁儿童的观察结果(117 名女孩/149 名男孩)。在活动类型方面存在显著的性别差异,但在中等到剧烈的身体活动(MVPA)方面没有差异。积极儿童的存在是 MVPA 的主要解释变量。在按性别分层的模型中,异性儿童的存在是女孩 MVPA 的显著负预测因子,但对男孩没有影响。
积极儿童的存在有助于提高儿童在公共游乐场的身体活动水平。女孩的身体活动似乎在男孩存在的情况下受到抑制。