Children's Outdoor Activities Research Articles

Tularemia as a result of outdoor activities for children in the countryside

To investigate the features of a new tularemia outbreak that occurred in the Thrace region. Materials and methods: The research team visited the village after the identification of the index case. Serum and throat samples were taken from 41 villagers who were examined, and environmental samples were taken in order to identify the source of the outbreak. Culture, serology, and molecular methods were used to search for Francisella tularensis in these samples. Results: A total of 8 children were diagnosed with tularemia. The adults and all of the other children were seronegative for tularemia. All of the patients had a history of swimming in a pool filled with water from a local stream, and contact with stream water was calculated to increase the risk of developing the disease 9.3-fold. Polymerase chain reaction analysis was positive in a lymph node aspirate of the index case and in the home tap water of 3 patients as well as in the spring water and stream water in the village. Francisella tularensis could not be isolated from any culture of samples. Interestingly, the waterborne tularemia outbreak affected only children. Conclusion: Although tularemia has been not reported from Tekirdağ Province for 74 years, the disease reemerged in the region due to the removal of hygienic measures. These clues may signify that the agent had maintained its presence in the region for many years.

Growing Minds: The Development of an Instrument to Measure Parental Attitude Toward Nature and Their Child's Outdoor Recreation

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure parental attitude toward nature (PAN) and parental attitude toward their child's outdoor recreation (PACOR) to allow researchers to better understand the factors influencing children's outdoor recreation and suggest programs for changing the recent decline in outdoor activity in children. The construction of this instrument followed the Dillman method of constructing survey instruments to improve response rates and to ensure higher quality results. Two scales were developed in three phases. In the first phase, an initial set of instrument questions were developed by adapting questions from previous research. The accumulated questions were then pilot tested and revised based on feedback and reliability. Each inventory was then tested following Dillman's four stages of survey pretest procedures: stage 1—review by knowledgeable colleagues and analysts, stage 2—interviews to evaluate understanding of instructions and questions, stage 3—pilot testing, and stage 4—a final check. The final Cronbach's alpha reliability analyses of the PAN scale and the PACOR scale indicated high levels of internal consistency. The number of questions was reduced following the results of an “alpha if item deleted” tool within SPSS statistical analysis software to improve internal consistency and to reduce load on participants.

An empirical study of determinants of parental restriction on children's outdoor activities and its effects on children's play

An empirical study of determinants of parental restriction on children's outdoor activities and its effects on children's play

An empirical study of determinants of parental restriction on children's outdoor activities and its effects on children's play

高い犯罪不安のなか，保護者が子どもに対し「子どもだけでの移動」（independent mobility）を制限する実態が見られる。こうした行動規制は，子どもの犯罪被害リスクを低くする点で有用であるものの，一方で，子どもの心身の発達に悪影響を与えることが懸念されている。本研究では，つくば市の一小学校での調査をもとに，保護者による子どもへの行動規制の実態と要因，および子どもの遊びへの影響を実証的に明らかにすることを目的とした。464名の子どもと359名の保護者への質問紙調査から，以下の点が示された。1)保護者による子どもへの行動規制には「日常行動の規制」「商店来訪への規制」「遠方への行動規制」の3つの側面がある，2)強い行動規制は，子どもの各種遊びの経験率，よく遊ぶ仲間，よく遊ぶ場所の数を少なくさせる。これは公園や道路等の公共空間で特に顕著である。3)強い行動規制は，子どもの生活場所に対する保護者の危険認知や，保護者と近隣の大人との交流の強さに規定されている。これらの結果より，子どもの「安全・安心」と「子どもだけでの移動」を両立させるうえでのまちづくりの役割について議論した。

Childhood Body Mass Index in Community Context: Neighborhood Safety, Television Viewing, and Growth Trajectories of BMI

The United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of children who are overweight or obese. Recently, research on child obesity has begun to examine the relationship between neighborhood environments and the health behaviors of youths. The current study used growth curve analysis based on multilevel modeling to examine the relationship between parents' perceptions of neighborhood safety and children's body mass index (BMI). Parents' perceptions of neighborhood safety had a significant association with children's BMI, and this relationship was fully mediated by television viewing. The results of this study suggest that when parents perceive their neighborhood to be unsafe, they will restrict their children's outdoor activities and increase the likelihood of sedentary indoor activity. Policies aimed at reducing overweight and obesity in children should take into account the neighborhood contexts in which children live.

Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child Care: What Parents Recommend

A large percentage of children in the United States spend part of their day in out-of-home child care. As rates of obesity continue to rise, especially among young children, child care has become a focus for nutrition and physical activity intervention. Parental involvement is an important component of these efforts. During summer 2006, parents of children in child care were surveyed to better understand their perceived quality of meals, snacks, and physical activity at the child-care center, and their recommendations for improvement. Parents of children who attended 94 licensed child-care centers in North Carolina were invited to complete a brief survey of perceived quality of meals, snacks, and physical activity at their centers using close-ended questions. Open-ended questions were used to identify suggestions for improvement. Five hundred eight parents from 91 child-care centers completed the questionnaire. The majority of parents reported quality of meals and snacks at the center as either excellent (30% meals, 27% snacks) or good (42% meals, 46% snacks). The main recommendations for improving meals and snacks were to increase fruits and vegetables and provide a variety of healthful foods. The majority of parents categorized the quality of physical activity at the center as excellent (36%) or good (46%), and suggested more structured, outdoor activities for children. Findings from this study provide insight into key areas of concern for parents regarding the nutrition and activity environment of child-care centers. This information may be used to create or modify interventions or policies and to help motivate parents to become advocates for change in child care.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY ON CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN TAMA NEWTOWN

In Tama NT, there are a large number of apartment, well-planned traffic networks and social facilities. This paper aimed to study children's outdoor activities and examine the relation between their activities and the outdoor environment through questionnaire, observation and GPS research: The following outcomes were obtained: 1) Home and parks are common places for children to play. 2) Local public facilities provide places for children to spend their time indoor. 3) Network shaping of pedestrian-space seems to provide ease of access for children to parks, playlots and local public facilities, and play a significant role for children's outdoor activities on the whole. 4) All day activities of several individuals were successfully recorded by GPS research, and some distinctive patterns in those activities were found.

Parents' perceptions of neighborhood safety and children's physical activity

Objective. The obesity epidemic disproportionately affects minority and poor children. Negative perceptions of neighborhood safety in poor communities may affect overweight by inhibiting children's physical activity. This study investigates the degree to which parents in a poor inner city vs. a middle-class suburban community limit their children's outdoor activity because of neighborhood safety concerns. Method. Parents of children aged 5–10 years from an inner city family practice in a poor community and from a suburban pediatric practice in a middle-class community completed a 20-item questionnaire. Parents estimated the amount of their child's activity in various situations and indicated their level of anxiety concerning gangs, child aggression, crime, traffic, and personal safety in their neighborhood. Results. Inner city children ( n = 204) engaged in less physical activity than suburban children ( N = 103) ( P < 0.001). Inner city parents expressed much greater anxiety about neighborhood safety than suburban parents ( P < 0.0001). In the inner city population, children's physical activity levels were negatively correlated with parental anxiety about neighborhood safety ( r = − 0.18, P < 0.05). Conclusions. Inner city parents have high levels of anxiety about neighborhood safety. While these concerns may not entirely explain the discrepancy in activity levels between inner city and suburban children, a safe environment is crucial to increasing opportunities for physical activity.

Parental permission for children's independent outdoor activities. Implications for injury prevention. Soori H &amp; Bhopal RS. (2002) European Journal of Public Health, 12, 104–109.

Background Parental supervision is an important factor related to childhood injuries. However, little research has been done on what outdoor activities children believe they are allowed or their parents allow them to do, parents’ ideas about the age children can do activities, and the age they would allow their children to do them. This study described children's independent outdoor activities after school, comparing age groups (school year 5 and 3), boys with girls, and the less socio‐economically well off with the better off. Methods A cross‐sectional study using questionnaires completed by 476 children aged 7 and 9 years and 471 parents in nine primary schools in Newcastle‐upon‐Tyne, England. Results Children reported that they were permitted many outdoor activities such as cycling (78.8%), playing (78.6%) and roller‐skating in the street (62.7%). Parents of older children, boys, and more socio‐economically deprived children were more likely than their comparison groups to allow children to do outdoor activities independently, for example 34% of 9‐year‐olds were allowed to cross a road without an adult compared with 8% of 7‐year‐olds. Mostly, parents of boys and socio‐economically deprived children perceived that children can do outdoor activities slightly younger than parents of girls and the socio‐economically better off. Conclusion Children and parents value and support children's independent outdoor activity. Differences in children's and parents’ understanding of what activities are permissible and in their judgements about the appropriate age for children's independent activities, may partly underline variations by sex, age and socio‐economic status in injury patterns.

Parental permission for children's independent outdoor activities. Implications for injury prevention. Soori H & Bhopal RS. (2002) European Journal of Public Health, 12, 104-109.

Parental permission for children's independent outdoor activities. Implications for injury prevention. Soori H & Bhopal RS. (2002) European Journal of Public Health, 12, 104-109.