Short-term Impact of Improved Play Equipment
on Physical Activity of Elementary School Children

Investigators:  Thomas Farley, MD, MPH; Janet Rice, PhD; Jeanette Gustat, PhD; Erin Baker, MS

Background:  The effect of playground equipment without organized activity on the physical activity of children is not well understood.  After Hurricanke Katrina, play structures were built on a number of schoolyards in New Orleans.  We assessed physical activity levels of children in several schoolyards before and after the play structures were installed.

Objective:  Our objective was to determine whether installed play equipment has any affect on physical activity among children during free play.

Methods: 

Observations
We conducted direct observations of children playing in the yards of three elementary schools, using the SOPLAY method, in which children are classified at a single point in time as sedentary, walking or very active.  Each schoolyard was divided in five to six "target areas" for observations, counting boys and girls separately.  Observations took place during the spring of 2007 five to eight days immedately before the schoolyards were closed to prepare them for the installation of playground equipment and eight to 11 days immedately after the installation.

Analysis
For each school and each time period, the number of children at each level of activity was summed across target areas, and the percentage of all children at each activity level was then calculated. 

We used logistic regression to test whether the change in proportion of children who were very active increased between pre- and post-installation periods.  We analyzed each school separately because the schoolyards were very different both before and after the installations.

Analysis has been completed on three schools.  Full results are expected soon.