Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

An intergenerational study of perceptions of changes in active free play among families from rural areas of Western Canada

Authors: Nicholas L. Holt, Kacey C. Neely, John C. Spence, Valerie Carson, Shannon R. Pynn, Kassi A. Boyd, Meghan Ingstrup, Zac Robinson

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Children’s engagement in active free play has declined across recent generations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of intergenerational changes in active free play among families from rural areas. We addressed two research questions: (1) How has active free play changed across three generations? (2) What suggestions do participants have for reviving active free play?

Methods

Data were collected via 49 individual interviews with members of 16 families (15 grandparents, 16 parents, and 18 children) residing in rural areas/small towns in the Province of Alberta (Canada). Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis guided by an ecological framework of active free play.

Results

Factors that depicted the changing nature of active free play were coded in the themes of less imagination/more technology, safety concerns, surveillance, other children to play with, purposeful physical activity, play spaces/organized activities, and the good parenting ideal. Suggestions for reviving active free play were coded in the themes of enhance facilities to keep kids entertained, provide more opportunities for supervised play, create more community events, and decrease use of technology.

Conclusions

These results reinforce the need to consider multiple levels of social ecology in the study of active free play, and highlight the importance of community-based initiatives to revive active free play in ways that are consistent with contemporary notions of good parenting.
Literature
1.
Janssen I. Physical activity guidelines for children and youth. App Phys Nutr Metabolism. 2007;32:S109–21.CrossRef
2.
Janssen I, Leblanc AG. Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010;7:40.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
3.
Colley RC, Garriguet D, Janssen I, Craig CL, Clark J, Tremblay MS. Physical activity of Canadian adults: accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Rep. 2011;22:1–8.
4.
Carver A, Timperio A, Crawford D. Playing it safe: the influence of neighbourhood safety on children’s physical activity - a review. Health & Place. 2008;14:217–27.CrossRef
5.
Fyhri A, Hjorthor R, Mackett RL, Fotel T, Kytta M. Children’s active travel and independent mobility in four countries: Development, social contributing trends, and measures. Transp Policy. 2011;18:703–10.CrossRef
6.
Singer DG, Singer JL, D’Agostino D, DeLong R. Children’s pastimes and play in sixteen nations: Is free play declining? Am J Play. 2009; Winter:283–312.
7.
Sturm R. Childhood obesity - What we can learn from existing data on societal trends, Part 1. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2005;2(1):A12. [serial online].
8.
Valentine G, McKendrick J. Children’s outdoor play: Exploring parental concerns about children’s safety and the changing nature of childhood. Geoforum. 1997;28:219–35.CrossRef
9.
Wen LM, Kite J, Merom D, Rissel C. Time spent playing outdoors after school and its relationship with independent mobility: a cross sectional survey of children aged 10–12 years in Sydney, Australia. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2009;6:15.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Witten K, Kearns R, Carroll P, Asiasiga L, Tava’e N. New Zealand parents’ understandings of the intergenerational decline in children’s independent outdoor play and active travel. Child Geogr. 2013;11(2):215–229.
11.
Lee H, Tamminen KA, Clark AM, Slater L, Spence JC, Holt NL. A meta-study of qualitative research examining determinants of children's independent active free play. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:5.
12.
Ferreira I, Van der Horst K, Wendel-Vos W, Kremers S, Van Lenthe F, Brug J. Environmental correlates of physical activity in youth: a review and update. Obes Rev. 2006;8:29–54.
13.
Hinkley T, Crawford D, Salmon J, Okely A, Hesketh K. Preschool children and physical activity: a review of correlates. Am J Prev Med. 2008;34:435–41.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, Taylor WC. A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32:963–75.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Sterdt E, Liersch S, Walter U. Correlates of physical activity in children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews. Health Educ J. 2014;73:72–89.CrossRef
16.
17.
18.
Burdette HL, Whitaker RC. A national study of neighborhood safety, outdoor play, television viewing, and obesity in preschool children. Pediatrics. 2005;116:657–62.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Carver A, Timperio A, Hesketh K, Crawford D. Are children and adolescents less active if parents restrict their physical activity and active transport due to perceived risk? Soc Sci Med. 2010;70:1799–805.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Holt NL, Cunningham C, Sehn ZL, Spence JC, Newton AS, Ball GDC. Neighborhood physical activity opportunities for inner-city children and youth. Health Place. 2009;15:1022–8.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Glenn N, Knight CJ, Holt NL, Spence JC. Meanings of play among children. Childhood. 2013;20:185–99.CrossRef
22.
Timperio A, Crawford D, Telford A, Salmon J. Perceptions about the local neighborhood and walking and cycling among children. Prev Med. 2004;38:39–47.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Tranter P, Pawson E. Children’s access to local environments: a case-study of Christchurch, New Zealand. Local Environ. 2001;6:27–48.CrossRef
24.
Carson V, Spence JC. Seasonal variation in physical activity among children and adolescents: A review. Ped Exer Sci. 2010;22:81–2.CrossRef
25.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. Children’s perceptions of the use of public open spaces for active free-play. Child Geogr. 2007;5:409–22.CrossRef
26.
Dias JJ, Whitaker RC. Black mothers’ perceptions about urban neighborhood safety and outdoor play for their preadolescent daughters. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2013;24:206–19.CrossRefPubMed
27.
O’Brien J, Smith J. Childhood transformed? Risk perceptions and the decline of free play. Br J Occup Ther. 2002;65:123–8.CrossRef
28.
Jago R, Thompson JL, Page AS, Brockman R, Cartwright K, Fox KR. License to be active: parental concerns and 10–11-year-old children's ability to be independently physically active. J Public Health. 2009;31:472–7.CrossRef
29.
Gaster S. Urban children’s access to the neighborhood: changes over three generations. Envir Behav. 1991;23:70–85.CrossRef
30.
Karsten L. It all used to be better? Different generations on continuity and change in urban children’s daily use of space. Child Geogr. 2005;3:275–90.CrossRef
31.
Wridt PJ. An historical analysis of young people’s use of public space, parks, and playgrounds in New York City. Child Youth Environ. 2004;14:86–106.
32.
Tandy CA. Children's diminishing play space: a study of intergenerational change in children's use of their neighbourhoods. Aust Geogr Stud. 1999;37:154–64.CrossRef
33.
Oliver M, Witten K, Kearns RA, Mavoa S, Badland HM, Carroll P, Drumheller C, et al. Kids in the city study: research design and methodology. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:587.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
34.
Biddle SJ, Gorely T, Stensel DJ. Health-enhancing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents. J Sports Sci. 2004;22:679–701.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Salmon J, et al. Are associations between the perceived home and neighbourhood environment and children’s physical activity moderated by urban/rural location? Health Place. 2013;24:44–53.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Matthews H, Taylor M, Sherwood K, Tucker F, Limb M. Growing-up in the countryside: children and the rural idyll. J Rural Stud. 2000;16:141–53.CrossRef
37.
Walia S, Liepert D. Perceived facilitators and barriers to physical activity for rural youth: an exploratory study using photovoice. Rural Remote Health. 2012;12:1842.PubMed
38.
Tucker F, Matthews H. ‘They don’t like girls hanging around there’: conflicts over recreational space in rural Northamptonshire. Area. 2001;33:161–8.CrossRef
39.
Valentine G. A safe place to grow up? Parenting, perceptions of children’s safety and the rural idyll. J Rural Stud. 1997b;13:137–48.CrossRef
40.
Karsten L. Children's use of public space: the gendered world of the playground. Childhood. 2003;10:457–73.CrossRef
41.
42.
Morse JM, Field PA. Qualitative research methods for health professionals. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 1995.
43.
Mayan MJ. Essentials of qualitative inquiry. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press; 2009.
44.
Holt NL, Lee H, Millar CA, Spence JC. ‘Eyes on where children play’: a retrospective study of active free play. Child Geogr. 2015;13:73–88.CrossRef
45.
Glaser BG, Strauss AL. The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago: Aldine; 1967.
46.
Miles MB, Huberman M. Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 1994.
47.
Morse J, Barrett M, Mayan M, Olson K, Spiers J. Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. Int J Qual Met. 2002;1:1–19.
48.
Patton MQ. Qualitative research & evaluation methods. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 2002.
49.
Blakely, KS. Parent’s conceptions of social dangers to children in the urban environment. Children’s Environments. Winter. 1994;11:16–25.
50.
Valentine G. “Oh yes I can”. “Oh no you can’t”: children and parents’ understandings of kids’ competence to negotiate public space safely. Antipode. 1997;29:65–89.CrossRef
51.
Kinoshita I. Charting generational differences in conceptions and opportunities for play in a Japanese neighbourhood. J Intergenerational Rel. 2009;7:53–77.CrossRef
52.
Jenkins NE. You can’t wrap them in cotton wool! Constructing risk in young people’s access to outdoor play. Health Risk Soc. 2006;8:379–93.CrossRef
53.
54.
Tremblay MS, Warburton DER, Janssen I, Patterson DH, Latimer AE, Rhodes RE, Kho ME, Hicks A, LeBlanc AG, Zehr L, Murumets K, Duggan M. New Canadian physical activity guidelines. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2011;36(59–64):65–71.CrossRef
55.
56.
Metadata
Title
An intergenerational study of perceptions of changes in active free play among families from rural areas of Western Canada
Authors
Nicholas L. Holt
Kacey C. Neely
John C. Spence
Valerie Carson
Shannon R. Pynn
Kassi A. Boyd
Meghan Ingstrup
Zac Robinson
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3490-2

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Public Health 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

Evaluating the effectiveness of the SMART contract-signing strategy in reducing the growth of Swedish Adolescents’ substance use and problem behaviors

Research article

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus and abnormal pap smears in female sex workers compared to the general population in Antwerp, Belgium

Research article

Current and past smoking patterns in a Central European urban population: a cross-sectional study in a high-burden country

Research article

The effects of maximising the UK’s tobacco control score on inequalities in smoking prevalence and premature coronary heart disease mortality: a modelling study

Research article

Time kinetics of physical activity, sitting, and quality of life measures within a regional workplace: a cross–sectional analysis

Research article

Associations between asthma, overweight and physical activity in children: a cross-sectional study