IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i3p1874-d744099.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Physical Activity Cues and Children’s Active vs. Sedentary Recreation

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda N. Spitzer

    (Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Katrina Oselinsky

    (Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Rachel G. Lucas-Thompson

    (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
    Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

  • Dan J. Graham

    (Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
    Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) benefits health, and intensive environmental modifications can increase children’s PA. Research has not yet addressed if subtle environmental cues, such as posters depicting PA, increase child PA. In the current study, it was hypothesized that children exposed to active posters (vs. nature posters) would spend a larger proportion of free play time engaging with active toys (relative to sedentary toys). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which posters on a laboratory wall depicted 1. People being active, or 2. Nature scenes. Children aged 5–10 years (N = 175) could play with up to eight toys (four active, four sedentary) while parents completed study-related surveys. The proportion of playtime that was active was compared between groups. Poster type did not have a significant effect on proportion of active playtime. Previous environmental interventions that increase children’s PA have done so through enhancing access to active opportunities, rather than via signage. It is possible that poster interventions such as this may not influence children’s PA, or perhaps other types of cues would have been more effective. Future research should investigate subtle environmental cues that match both the target audience and the accessible PA options (e.g., posters depicting children playing with available active toys) and explore other low-investment environmental modifications to boost children’s PA.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda N. Spitzer & Katrina Oselinsky & Rachel G. Lucas-Thompson & Dan J. Graham, 2022. "Environmental Physical Activity Cues and Children’s Active vs. Sedentary Recreation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-12, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1874-:d:744099
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1874/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1874/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steffen CE Schmidt & Jennifer Schneider & Anne Kerstin Reimers & Claudia Niessner & Alexander Woll, 2019. "Exploratory Determined Correlates of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: The MoMo Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, January.
    2. Christine A. Mitchell & Andrew F. Clark & Jason A. Gilliland, 2016. "Built Environment Influences of Children’s Physical Activity: Examining Differences by Neighbourhood Size and Sex," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Rachel Dunifon & Paula Fomby & Kelly Musick, 2017. "Siblings and children's time use in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(49), pages 1611-1624.
    4. Boutelle, K.N. & Jeffery, R.W. & Murray, D.M. & Schmitz, M.K.H., 2001. "Using signs, artwork, and music to promote stair use in a public building," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(12), pages 2004-2006.
    5. Kelly S. Fielding & Matthew J. Hornsey & Ha Anh Thai & Li Li Toh, 2020. "Using ingroup messengers and ingroup values to promote climate change policy," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(2), pages 181-199, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julian A. Reed & Rachel M. Ballard & Michael Hill & David Berrigan, 2020. "Identification of Effective Programs to Improve Access to and Use of Trails among Youth from Under-Resourced Communities: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-33, October.
    2. Aaron C. Sparks & Heather Hodges & Sarah Oliver & Eric R. A. N. Smith, 2020. "Confidence in Local, National, and International Scientists on Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Katz, Carmit & Tener, Dafna & Hindi, Inbal, 2021. "“We took turns”: How do child victims of intrafamilial child sexual abuse perceive and experience their siblings?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    4. Jue Wang & Mei-Po Kwan, 2018. "An Analytical Framework for Integrating the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Environmental Context and Individual Mobility in Exposure Assessment: A Study on the Relationship between Food Environment Exposu," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, September.
    5. Suzanne Tillmann & Andrew F. Clark & Jason A. Gilliland, 2018. "Children and Nature: Linking Accessibility of Natural Environments and Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, May.
    6. Anna Puig-Ribera & Anna M. Señé-Mir & Guy A. H. Taylor-Covill & Núria De Lara & Douglas Carroll & Amanda Daley & Roger Holder & Erica Thomas & Raimon Milà & Frank F. Eves, 2019. "Signage Interventions for Stair Climbing at Work: More than 700,000 Reasons for Caution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-13, October.
    7. Anne K. Armstrong & Marianne E. Krasny, 2020. "Tracing Paths from Research to Practice in Climate Change Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-21, June.
    8. Yang Zhou & Meng Wang & Siming Lin & Caiyun Qian, 2022. "Relationship between Children’s Independent Activities and the Built Environment of Outdoor Activity Space in Residential Neighborhoods: A Case Study of Nanjing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-24, August.
    9. Melody Smith & Rebecca Amann & Alana Cavadino & Deborah Raphael & Robin Kearns & Roger Mackett & Lisa Mackay & Penelope Carroll & Euan Forsyth & Suzanne Mavoa & Jinfeng Zhao & Erika Ikeda & Karen Witt, 2019. "Children’s Transport Built Environments: A Mixed Methods Study of Associations between Perceived and Objective Measures and Relationships with Parent Licence for Independent Mobility in Auckland, New ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-22, April.
    10. Brenton L. G. Button & Andrew F. Clark & Gina Martin & Megan Graat & Jason A. Gilliland, 2020. "Measuring Temporal Differences in Rural Canadian Children’s Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, November.
    11. Patrick Präg & Seongsoo Choi & Christiaan Monden, 2020. "The sibsize revolution in an international context: Declining social disparities in the number of siblings in 26 countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(17), pages 461-500.
    12. Melody Smith & Suzanne Mavoa & Erika Ikeda & Kamyar Hasanzadeh & Jinfeng Zhao & Tiina E. Rinne & Niamh Donnellan & Marketta Kyttä & Jianqiang Cui, 2022. "Associations between Children’s Physical Activity and Neighborhood Environments Using GIS: A Secondary Analysis from a Systematic Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, January.
    13. Matthew Browning & Kangjae Lee, 2017. "Within What Distance Does “Greenness” Best Predict Physical Health? A Systematic Review of Articles with GIS Buffer Analyses across the Lifespan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, June.
    14. Sara Barron & Sophie Nitoslawski & Kathleen L. Wolf & Angie Woo & Erin Desautels & Stephen R. J. Sheppard, 2019. "Greening Blocks: A Conceptual Typology of Practical Design Interventions to Integrate Health and Climate Resilience Co-Benefits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-21, November.
    15. Louisa R. Peralta & Renata L. Cinelli & Wayne Cotton & Sarah Morris & Olivier Galy & Corinne Caillaud, 2022. "The Barriers to and Facilitators of Physical Activity and Sport for Oceania with Non-European, Non-Asian (ONENA) Ancestry Children and Adolescents: A Mixed Studies Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-26, September.
    16. Tayyaba Kiyani & Sumaira Kayani & Saima Kayani & Iffat Batool & Si Qi & Michele Biasutti, 2021. "Individual, Interpersonal, and Organizational Factors Affecting Physical Activity of School Adolescents in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    17. Shatabdi Goon & Saija Kontulainen & Nazeem Muhajarine, 2020. "Neighborhood Built Environment Measures and Association with Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in 9–14-Year-Old Children in Saskatoon, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-13, May.
    18. Tessa Pocock & Antoni Moore & Javier Molina-García & Ana Queralt & Sandra Mandic, 2020. "School Neighbourhood Built Environment Assessment for Adolescents’ Active Transport to School: Modification of an Environmental Audit Tool and Protocol (MAPS Global-SN)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-17, March.
    19. Sim, Armand & Gultom, Sarah & Widita, Alyas & Lee, Wang-Sheng & Khalil, Umair, 2024. "Sink or Swim: Testing the Roles of Science and Religion in Raising Environmental Awareness in Indonesia," IZA Discussion Papers 17184, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Agata Korcz & Jana Krzysztoszek & Marlena Łopatka & Mateusz Ludwiczak & Paulina Górska & Michał Bronikowski, 2020. "The Role of Family Time Together in Meeting the Recommendation for Physical Activity among Primary School Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-14, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1874-:d:744099. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.