Do Neighborhood Parks and Playgrounds Reduce Childhood Obesity?

Abstract

Promoting physical activity in children is an important front battling Childhood obesity. This paper investigates if and by how much neighborhood parks and playgrounds, one of the most important activity-enhancing neighborhood facilities, affect childhood obesity. We employ a covariate matching technique to analyze the 2007 National Survey of Children Health data. We find that neighborhood parks and playgrounds make children more fit. The reduction in body mass index (BMI) as well as the overweight or obesity risk is both statistically and economically significant. We also find that the park impact depends on gender, age, race, income, neighborhood safety, and other neighborhood amenities. The results suggest that a provision of neighborhood parks and playgrounds is likely to make children more fit, but relevant interventions need to take socioeconomic status of the targeted children population as well as other neighborhood amenities into consideration.

Obesity and Self‐control: Food Consumption, Physical Activity, and Weight‐loss Intention

“…The literature documents rich evidence supporting a strong association between access to neighborhood amenities (e.g., playgrounds, parks, trails) and increased outdoor physical activity (Bedimo-Rung, Mowen, and Cohen 2005;Roemmich et al 2006). Fan and Jin (2013) find that adding a park/playground to a neighborhood significantly reduces the prevalence of childhood obesity, especially within young cohorts and poor neighborhoods. Furthermore, changing social norms on physical activity (Cohen, Scribner, and Farley 2000) and promoting a culture of healthy activity habits during childhood (Zimmerman 2009) can have sustainable and broad impacts on obesity.…”

“…When actions involve immediate rewards, the present-bias effect causes the immediate gratification and gain to eclipse future health consequences. Examples include the overconsumption of food, especially excessively cheap and unhealthy food (Cutler, Glaeser, and Shapiro, 2003), and the use of healthcompromising weight-loss strategies (Fan and Jin 2013). However, when actions involve immediate costs and delayed rewards, such as diet moderation and engagement in physical activity, individuals who lack self-control tend to procrastinate.…”

Incidence and cost of hospitalisation of children with injuries from playground equipment falls in New South Wales, Australia

“…The prevalence of obesity in Australian children is increasing, with 26% of children aged 5–14 years considered overweight or obese, and only 19% of children achieving the recommended 60 min of physical activity per day . Playgrounds are popular places for play and exercise and are associated with a reduction in the prevalence of childhood obesity in communities . However, in addition to being popular play and exercise facilities, playgrounds are a common location for fall‐related injuries for children .…”

“…3 Playgrounds are popular places for play and exercise and are associated with a reduction in the prevalence of childhood obesity in communities. 4 However, in addition to being popular play and exercise facilities, playgrounds are a common location for fall-related injuries for children. 5,6 While national playground equipment standards have been implemented across Australia, the hospitalisation rates of fall injuries remain high.…”

Association between obesity in 4‐ to 7‐year‐old children and eight types of crime: a hierarchical linear modelling approach

“…Availability of neighbourhood parks and playgrounds was associated with decreased risk of overweight and obesity in a nationally representative sample of 10‐ to 17‐year‐old children ( N = 44,015) in the USA . Furthermore, this association was stronger for children from low‐income families and those living in neighbourhoods perceived as unsafe compared with children from higher income families and safe neighbourhoods .…”