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Article

Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter?

by
Anne Kerstin Reimers
1,*,
Stephanie Schoeppe
2,
Yolanda Demetriou
3 and
Guido Knapp
4
1
Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09111 Chemnitz, Germany
2
School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 4702, Australia
3
Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Campus D–Uptown München, Technical University of Munich, 80992 München, Germany
4
Faculty of Statistics, Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(7), 1356; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071356
Submission received: 12 April 2018 / Revised: 14 June 2018 / Accepted: 26 June 2018 / Published: 28 June 2018
(This article belongs to the Section Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion)

Abstract

Background: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
Keywords: physical activity; gender; outdoor play; playgrounds; children; direct observation; social environment physical activity; gender; outdoor play; playgrounds; children; direct observation; social environment

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Reimers, A.K.; Schoeppe, S.; Demetriou, Y.; Knapp, G. Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071356

AMA Style

Reimers AK, Schoeppe S, Demetriou Y, Knapp G. Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(7):1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071356

Chicago/Turabian Style

Reimers, Anne Kerstin, Stephanie Schoeppe, Yolanda Demetriou, and Guido Knapp. 2018. "Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter?" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 7: 1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071356

APA Style

Reimers, A. K., Schoeppe, S., Demetriou, Y., & Knapp, G. (2018). Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(7), 1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071356

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