TY - JOUR
T1 - The Sydney Playground Project
T2 - popping the bubblewrap-unleashing the power of play: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a primary school playground-based intervention aiming to increase children's physical activity and social skills
AU - Bundy, Anita C.
AU - Naughton, Geraldine
AU - Tranter, Paul
AU - Wyver, Shirley
AU - Baur, Louise
AU - Schiller, Wendy
AU - Bauman, Adrian
AU - Engelen, Lina
AU - Ragen, Jo
AU - Luckett, Tim
AU - Niehues, Anita
AU - Stewart, Gabrielle
AU - Jessup, Glenda
AU - Brentnall, Jennie
N1 - This version is archived for private and non-commercial use under the terms of this BioMed Central open access license ("license") (see http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/about/license). The work is protected by copyright and/or other applicable law. Any use of the work other than as authorized under this license is prohibited. For further rights please check the terms of the license, or contact the publisher.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Background: In the Westernised world, numerous children are overweight and have problems with bullying and mental health. One of the underlying causes for all three is postulated to be a decrease in outdoor free play. The aim of the Sydney Playground Project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of two simple interventions aimed to increase children's physical activity and social skills. Methods/Design. This study protocol describes the design of a 3-year cluster randomised controlled trial (CRCT), in which schools are the clusters. The study consists of a 13-week intervention and 1 week each of pre-and post-testing. We are recruiting 12 schools (6 control; 6 intervention), with 18 randomly chosen participants aged 5 to 7 years in each school. The two intervention strategies are: (1) Child-based intervention: Unstructured materials with no obvious play value introduced to the playground; and (2) Adult-based intervention: Risk reframing sessions held with parents and teachers with the aim of exploring the benefits of allowing children to engage in activities with uncertain outcomes. The primary outcome of the study, physical activity as measured by accelerometer counts, is assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Additional assessments include social skills and interactions, self-concept, after school time use and anthropometric data. Qualitative data (i.e., transcriptions of audio recordings from the risk reframing sessions and of interviews with selected teacher and parent volunteers) are analysed to understand their perceptions of risk in play. The control schools have recess as usual. In addition to outcome evaluation, regular process evaluation sessions are held to monitor fidelity to the treatment. Discussion. These simple interventions, which could be adopted in every primary school, have the potential of initiating a self-sustaining cycle of prevention for childhood obesity, bullying and mental ill health. Trial registration. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registration Number ACTRN12611000089932.
AB - Background: In the Westernised world, numerous children are overweight and have problems with bullying and mental health. One of the underlying causes for all three is postulated to be a decrease in outdoor free play. The aim of the Sydney Playground Project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of two simple interventions aimed to increase children's physical activity and social skills. Methods/Design. This study protocol describes the design of a 3-year cluster randomised controlled trial (CRCT), in which schools are the clusters. The study consists of a 13-week intervention and 1 week each of pre-and post-testing. We are recruiting 12 schools (6 control; 6 intervention), with 18 randomly chosen participants aged 5 to 7 years in each school. The two intervention strategies are: (1) Child-based intervention: Unstructured materials with no obvious play value introduced to the playground; and (2) Adult-based intervention: Risk reframing sessions held with parents and teachers with the aim of exploring the benefits of allowing children to engage in activities with uncertain outcomes. The primary outcome of the study, physical activity as measured by accelerometer counts, is assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Additional assessments include social skills and interactions, self-concept, after school time use and anthropometric data. Qualitative data (i.e., transcriptions of audio recordings from the risk reframing sessions and of interviews with selected teacher and parent volunteers) are analysed to understand their perceptions of risk in play. The control schools have recess as usual. In addition to outcome evaluation, regular process evaluation sessions are held to monitor fidelity to the treatment. Discussion. These simple interventions, which could be adopted in every primary school, have the potential of initiating a self-sustaining cycle of prevention for childhood obesity, bullying and mental ill health. Trial registration. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registration Number ACTRN12611000089932.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80052183434&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1471-2458-11-680
DO - 10.1186/1471-2458-11-680
M3 - Article
C2 - 21884603
AN - SCOPUS:80052183434
SN - 1471-2458
VL - 11
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
M1 - 680
ER -