The socio-economic variations in the provision, quality and perception of play areas in Glasgow

GV Recreation Leisure;RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine

McAdam, Chloe M. ; Macintyre, Sally

University:University of Glasgow

Department:Institute of Health and Wellbeing

关键词: Physical activity, play, deprivation, neighbourhoods;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1936/1/2009McAdamPhD.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

In order to examine the possible health implications of outdoor play areas, thisPhD used a multi-methods approach to examine socio-economic variations in theprovision, quality and perceptions of publicly available outdoor play areas inGlasgow, with the underpinning philosophy that play areas may be used as alocale for children to engage in physically active play.The locations of play areas were mapped using GIS software and spatialvariations were examined by deprivation. A sample (n=100) of play areas in thehighest, middle and lowest quintiles of deprivation were visited and an objectivequality audit was undertaken assessing their safety and aesthetics. Pupils in P6(mean age=9.9 years) were recruited from a school in a highly deprived area anda school in an area of low social deprivation. Sixty two “Draw-and-write”activities and four focus groups were conducted with children to investigatepreferences for play and benefits and barriers for visiting play areas. Interviewswere also conducted with seven play area maintenance men and two mothers toinvestigate their views on local play provision.Whilst there was greater provision of play areas in deprived areas of Glasgow,some aspects of their quality were poorer. Children and adults spoke aboutsafety from injury and strangers, and a lack of suitable facilities as barriers tousing play areas. Vandalism, misuse and youth disorder were also strong themesin all qualitative research. The barriers for play for children from a deprivedarea were of a more serious nature compared to children from a less deprivedarea and those aspects of safety and incivilities which were objectivelymeasured as worse in deprived areas, were also ones that acted as barriers forparents and children. Thus, it is those children who may be in greatest need forfree access to safe and healthy play spaces that face more (and often moreserious) barriers to play.Although play areas might provide children with opportunity to be physicallyactive, access to facilities alone may not always mean they are used. Furtherresearch evaluating refurbishments to play areas may help to determine whetherimprovements made to play areas would impact upon their use and physicalactivity levels of users.