From: Systematic review of the correlates of outdoor play and time among children aged 3-12 years
First author (year) | Language | Analytic sample (n) | Female/girl (%) | Participant agea | Country | Study design | Duration/frequency of outdoor play or outdoor time reported |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aarts (2010) [32] | English | 6470 | 49.9% | 4-12 years | Denmark | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 6.9 h/wk 4-6 years: Boys 417 min/wk, Girls 390 min/wk 7-9 years: Boys 449 min/wk, Girls 396 min/wk 10-12 years: Boys 443 min/wk, Girls 373 min/wk |
Aarts (2012) [33] | English | 3651 | 49.0% | 7.8 years old | Netherlands | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 6.9 h/wk 4-6 years: Boys 408 min/wk, Girls 378 min/wk 7-9 years: Boys 455 min/wk, Girls 398 min/wk 10-12 years: Boys 444 min/wk, Girls 381 min/wk |
Aggio (2017) [34] | English | 13,169 | 49.3% | 7.2 (0.3) years old | UK | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play (independent) frequency 29% engaged in independent outdoor play |
Anthamatten (2014) [35] | English | 9900 | 48.5% | 5-12 years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Armstrong (2019) [36] | English | 224 | 46.0% | 2.7 (0.7) years old | Australia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 68.9 (2.2) min/d in the home yard |
Bagordo (2017) [37] | English | 1164 | 48.1% | 7.3 (0.9) years old | Italy | Cross-sectional and Longitudinal-Prospective cohort | Outdoor play duration (% of children with ≥ 1 h/d) Season I (winter): 33.0% Season II (late spring): 70.3% |
Barros (2012) [38] | Portuguese | 265 | 46.0% | Girls: 5.0 (0.9) years oldBoys: 4.8 (0.8) years old | Brazil | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (% of children with ≥ 1 h/d) 65.3% |
Barros (2019) [39] | Portuguese | 700 | NR | 4.8 (0.8) years old | Brazil | Longitudinal-Prospective cohort | NR |
Berger (2019) [39] | English | 1160 | 42.9% | 11-12 years at baseline | England | Longitudinal-Prospective cohort | Outdoor play frequency Total: 75.3% White: 71.1% White mixed: 75.1% Bangladeshi: 74.8% Black African: 80.1% |
Berglind (2017) [40] | English | 899 | NR | 4.0 years old | Sweden | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 136.4 min/d Weekday: 90.1 min/d Weekend: 182.6 min/d Outside of preschool hours Girls Weekday: 85.1 min/d Weekend: 174.7 min/d Boys Weekday: 95.9 min/d Weekend: 189.3 min/d |
Bohn-Goldbaum (2013)b [30] | English | 164 for direct observation; 140 for interview | NR | 2-12 years for direct observation; ≥ 16 years+ with children under 13 years for interview | Australia | Cross-sectional | NR |
Boldemann (2006) [41] | English | 199 | 42.7% | 4.5-6.5 years | Sweden | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration (≥ 1 h/d on an ordinary Sunday) 95% |
Boldemann (2011) [42] | English | 169 | NR | 3.0-5.9 years | Sweden | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration (≥ 1 h/d on an ordinary Sunday) 100% |
Bourke (2014) [43] | English | 1534 | 50.3% | 0-14 years | New Zealand | Cross-sectional | NR |
Bringolf-Isler (2010) [44] | English | 680 | 48.8% | 6-10 years | Switzerland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 81.8 min/d |
Brown (2009) [45] | English | 372 | 49.0% | 3-5 years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Burdette (2005) [46] | English | 3141 | 47.0% | 39.0 (3.0) months old | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 191 min/d Weekday: 156.0 (120.0) min/d Weekend: 226.0 (140.0) min/d |
Burgi (2016) [47] | English | 209 | 42.6% | 2nd grade: 8.5 (0.3) years old6th grade: 12.5 (0.4) years old | Switzerland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration (median) Total: 83.8 min/d Second grader Weekday: 83.6 min/d on street and 0.0 min/d outside Weekend: 92.4 min/d on street and 5.7 min/d outside Sixth grader Weekday: 78.0 min/d on street and 0.0 min/d outside Weekend: 81.2 min/d on street and 0.0 min/d outside |
Cardon (2008) [48] | English | 783 | 47.0% | 5.3 (0.4) years old | Belgium | Cross-sectional | NR |
Caroli (2011) [49] | English | 1094 | 46.4% | 56.6 (11.3) months old | DenmarkItalyPoland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 1 h/d) Weekday Denmark: 19.8% Italy: 22.2% Poland: 35.0% |
Weekend Denmark: 86.7% Italy: 54.4% Poland: 91.1% | |||||||
Carsley (2017) [50] | English | 2810 | 48.4% | 1-5 years | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (median) Total: 60.0 min/d Attends daycare: 45.0 min/d Does not attend daycare: 60.0 min/d |
Christian (2014) [51] | English | 727 | 52.2% | 11 (0.8) years old | Australia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency Total: 70.1% (In the yard: 87.6%; On street: 52.6%) |
Non-dog walkers In the yard: 84.3%; On street: 44.8% | |||||||
Dog walkers In the yard: 90.8%; On street: 60.3% | |||||||
Christian (2019) [52] | English | 678 | 47.0% | 3.4 (0.8) years old | Switzerland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration 187.6 min/d in ECEC |
Cleland (2008) [53] | English | 548 | 53.2% | 5-12 years | Australia | Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | Outdoor time duration Total at baseline: 6.2 h/wk |
Warmer months at baseline Weekday: 7.7 h/wk. Weekend: 9.4 h/wk | |||||||
Cooler months at baseline Weekday: 3.0 h/wk. Weekend: 4.8 h/wk | |||||||
Cleland (2010) [54] | English | 421 | NR | 5-6 years and 10-12 years | Australia | Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | NR |
Conrad (2013) [55] | English | 1670 | 49.0% | 3-14 years | Germany | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration 223 min/d |
> 2 h/d 5% | |||||||
Cooper (2010) [56] | English | 1010 | NR | 11.0 (0.4) years old | England | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration 41.7 (46.1) min/d outside after school each day (between 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm) |
Damore (2002) [57] | English | 254 | NR | 2-12 years | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration Total ≥ 4 d/week: 69.8% |
Preschooler ≤ 3 d/week Suburban: 14%; Urban: 48% ≥ 4 d/week Suburban: 86%; Urban: 52% | |||||||
School-aged ≤ 3 d/week Suburban: 13%; Urban: 46% ≥ 4 d/week Suburban: 87%; Urban: 54% | |||||||
Among suburban children only (> 1 h/d) During school year: 23% During summer: 63% | |||||||
Donatiello (2013) [58] | English | 1673 | 48.1% | 6.1 (1.7) years old | Italy | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 148.9 min/d |
Rural: 185.2 min/d Suburban:132.0 min/d Urban: 129.4 min/d | |||||||
Dregval (2009) [59] | English | 515 | 49.7% | 1st grade student | Lithuania | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 3 h/d) 36.9% |
Faulkner (2015) [60] | English | 859 | 52.5% | 10.5 (0.7) years | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 2 h/d) Total: 20.0% Weekday: 7.8%; weekend: 32.1% |
Ferrao (2015) [61] | English | 514 | 51.2% | 7-12 years | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency (daily) 13.3% |
Frech (2011) [62] | English | 3572 | 48.0% | 61.7 (2.8) months old | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency (weekly) 3.8 days with mother |
Galvez (2013) [63] | English | 324 | 71.0% | 6-8 years | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (median) 2 h/wk. |
Gao (2017) [64] | Chinese | 1689 | NR | Primary school: 10.6 (0.9) years old High school: 13.5 (0.8) years old | China | Cross-sectional | Multiple groups, but no overall mean Mean score of outdoor play time (1: < 1 h; 2: 1 h; 3: 2 h; 4: 3 h; 5: > = 4 h) Boys (Primary): 12.6 ± 4.0 Boys (High school): 11.8 ± 4.1 Girls (Primary): 12.0 ± 3.7 Girls (High school): 11.0 ± 4.1 |
Gopinath (2013) [65] | English | 1794 | 50.2% | 12.7 years old | Australia | Longitudinal-Retrospective Cohort | Outdoor play duration (≥ 3710 h/wk) 25.1% |
Gottfried (2017) [66] | English | 14,370 | 49.0% | 66.1 months old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Grigsby-Toussaint (2011) [67] | English | 365 | 47.5% | 2-5 years | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 60 min/d |
Gross (2013) [68] | English | 401 | 45.4% | 5 years | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 60 min/d |
Hammond (2011) [69] | English | 140 | 42.1% | 6-13 years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Hinkley (2015) [70] | English | Australia: 71 ECEC centres and 65 preschools; Canada: 46 ECEC centres | NR | 3-5 years | AustraliaCanada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration (in ECEC) Total: 125.3 min/d Australian ECEC: 143.8 min/d Canadian ECEC: 106.8 min/d |
Hornby-Turner (2014) [71] | English | 145 | 100.0% | White British: 9.9 (1.0) years old; British Pakistani: 10.0 (0.7) years old | UK | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency (24-h recall) Total: 62.8% White British: 67.3% British Pakistani: 58.5% |
Howie (2013) [72] | English | 231 | 49.1% | 4.3 years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Hunter (2020) [73] | English | 1212 | 48.3% | 8.5 (3.6) years old | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration Total: 240 min/d Weekday: 240 min/d Weekend: 240 min/d |
Imhof (2016) [74] | English | 358 | 51.4% | 7.3 (0.4) years old | Switzerland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 76 min/d |
Islam (2016) [75] | English | 109 | 38.5% | 11.6 (1.2) years old | Bangladesh | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time frequency (during weekdays) 33.9% |
Janssen (2015) [76] | English | 724 | 49.5% | 7-12 years | CanadaUSA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency 13.3 (12.6–14.0) times/wk |
Jerrett (2013) [77] | English | 147 | 52.5% | 8-14 years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Jin MH (2020) [78] | Chinese | 1473 | NR | 5.0 (1.1) years old | China | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 46.1 min/d |
Jin F (2020) [79] | Chinese | 121 | NR | 4-6 years | China | Cross-sectional | NR |
Jones (2009) [80] | English | 100 | 53.0% | 9-10 years | UK | Cross-sectional | NR |
Kepper (2020) [81] | English | 30 parents; 263 Adolescents | 53.2% | 12.5 (1.9) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Kimbro (2011) [82] | English | 1975 | 49.0% | 63.5 (3.0) months old | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Weekday: 126 min/d |
Kneeshaw-Price (2013) [83] | English | 682 | 49.9% | 9.1 (1.6) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Kocken (2012) [84] | English | 878 | 49.2% | 6-10 years | Netherlands | Cross-sectional | NR |
Kos (2013) [85] | English | 68 teachers196 parents ofchildren | NR | 3-6 years | Slovenia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 8.4 h/wk |
Warm months: 10.6 h/wk. in playground or nature Cold months: 6.2 h/wk. in playground or nature | |||||||
Outdoor play frequency (% of the day consisting outdoor activities) 24.6% during warm months 14.6% during cold months | |||||||
Lachowycz (2012) [86] | English | 902 | 52.5% | 11-12 years | UK | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 35.9 min/d |
Weekday evenings (3 pm-10 pm) Sedentary: 14.5 min/d; 7.0% Light: 9.1 min/d; 11.7% MVPA: 7.0 min/d; 26.4% | |||||||
Weekend days (8 am-10 pm) Sedentary: 20.7 min/d; 5.3% Light: 13.0 min/d; 8.5% MVPA: 7.5 min/d; 17.6% | |||||||
Larson (2019) [87] | English | 543 | 56.0% | 12.9 (0.7) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration 102 min/d |
Lee RE (2016) [88] | English | 1321 | 52.6% | 9.6 years old | Mexico | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency 75.8% of children answered yes when asked if they played outside |
Lee ST (2016) [89] | English | 835 | 49.2% | 5.4 (0.1) years old | Malaysia | Cross-sectional | NR |
Liu MY (2020) [90] | Chinese | 454 | NR | 30-85 months old | China | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 123 min/d Weekday: 90 min/d Weekend: 156 min/d |
Outdoor play frequency (≥ 4 times/week) Total: 49.3% K1: 26.6%; K2: 20.7%; K3: 2.0% | |||||||
Liu TT (2020) [91] | Chinese | 1506 | NR | 9.2 (2.1) years old | China | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: Urban weekday: 4.8 (0.5) hours Urban weekend: 3.0 (1.1) hours Rural weekday: 8.1 (0.9) hours Rural weekend: 5.2 (1.5) hours |
Marino (2012) [92] | English | 878 | 50.8% | 6-11 years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Martin (2008) [93] | English | 331 | 55.5% | 12.1 (1.0) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Martino (2019) [94] | English | 29,159 | 50.0% | 9.8 years old | Italy | Cross-sectional | NR |
Matarma (2020) [95] | English | 712 | 47.8% | 5.1 (0.1) years old | Finland | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 60 min/d) Total: 65.5% Boys: 70.2%; Girls: 60.8% |
McHale (2001) [96] | English | 198 | 51.5% | 10.9 (0.5) years old | USA | Cross-sectional and Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | NR |
Miranda-Rios (2017) [97] | Spanish | 192 | 42.2% | 5-12 years | Mexico | Cross-sectional | NR |
Moore (2020) [98] | English | 1472 | 47.0% | 45.1 (7.5) months old | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration Total: 143 min/d Girls: 141 min/d; Boys: 145 min/d |
Moran (2017) [99] | English | 573 | 50.0% | 10-12 years | Israel | Cross-sectional | NR |
Mota (2017) [100] | Portuguese | 485 | 46.0% | Girls: 4.7 (0.9) years old Boys: 4.8 (0.9) years old | Portugal | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 148 min/d Weekday Girls: 90 min/d; Boys: 100 min/d Weekend Girls: 189 min/d; Boys: 211 min/d |
Muthuri (2015) [101] | English | 563 | 53.5% | 9-11 years | Kenya | Cross-sectional | NR |
Nicksic (2018) [102] | English | 748 | 57.9% | 5th grade students | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 30 min/d) Child reported: 3.2% Girls: 3.0%; Boys: 3.3% Parent reported: 82.2% Girls: 79.2%; Boys: 86.4% |
Nordvall-Lassen (2018) [103] | English | 4941 | 49.6% | 9-11 years | Denmark | Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | NR |
Nystrom (2019) [98] | English | 1699 | 55.0% | 10.2 (1.0) years old | Canada | Cross-sectional | NR |
Page (2010) [104] | English | 1307 | 48.9% | 10-11 years | UK | Cross-sectional | NR |
Predy (2020) [105] | English | 240 directors of ECEC (3 for toddler groups, 19 for preschool groups, and 218 for both) | NR | Toddlers: 19–35 months; Preschoolers: 36–60 months | Canada | Cross-sectional | Duration Toddler: Median 30-44 min/d during winter months Median 75-89 min/d during non-winter months Preschooler: Median 45-59 min/d during winter moths Median 90-119 min/d during non-winter months Frequency Toddler: 1 time/d during winter months 2 time/d during non-winter months Preschooler: 2 time/d during winter and non-winter months |
Puett (2019) [106] | English | 144 | NR | 9.6 (1.6) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Ramirez-Izcoa (2017) [107] | Spanish | 357 | 53.5% | 6-11 years | Honduras | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration > 60 min/d: 27.7% |
Reimers (2017) [108] | English | 2538 | 50.6% | 0-12 years | Germany | Cross-sectional | NR |
Reimers (2018) [109] | English | 266 | 44.0% | 4-12 years | Germany | Cross-sectional | NR |
Reimers (2019) [110] | English | 3505 | 51.0% | 12.0 (3.3) years old | Germany | Cross-sectional | NR |
Remmers, Broeren (2014) [111] | English | 2007 | 49.5% | 5.8 (0.4) years old at baseline | Netherlands | Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | Outdoor play duration 109.0 min/d |
Remmers, Kann (2014) [112] | English | 1875 | 49.0% | 5.0 (0.5) years old at baseline (7.0 at follow-up) | Netherlands | Longitudinal-Prospective Cohort | Outdoor play duration Baseline: 10.3 h/wk. Follow-up: 11.4 h/wk |
Riiser (2019) [113] | English | 426 | 47.8% | 5th grader students | Norway | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 52.7 min/d Sedentary: 13.6 min/d Light PA: 26.0 min/d MVPA: 13.1 min/d Total accelerometer counts/min: 1581.3 |
Schoeppe (2017) [114] | English | 3300 | 51.2% | 11.2 (0.8) years old | Australia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency 6.0 (2.4) time/wk |
Sharp (2018) [115] | English | 3373 | 48.4% | 33.5 (17.9) months old | Canada | Cross-sectional | NR |
Spurrier (2008) [116] | English | 280 | 50.0% | 4.8 (0.2) years old | Australia | Cross-sectional | NR |
Stone (2014) [117] | English | 856 | 54.6% | 11 (0.6) years old | Canada | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (> 2 h/d) Total: 8% Girls: 6%;Boys: 10% |
Tandon (2012) [118] | English | 8950 | 49.0% | 4.4 (0.01) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time frequency (at least once/d) 51% |
Tappe (2013) [119] | English | 724 | 49.3% | 9.1 (1.6) years | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
van Rossem (2012) [120] | English | 4688 | 50.1% | 36.7 (1.4) months old | Netherlands | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (> 3 h/d) 8.1% |
van Stralen (2012)b [31] | English | 600 | 51.0% | 9.8 (0.7) years old | Netherlands | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play frequency 4.1 time/wk |
Vandewater (2007) [121] | English | 1045 | 48.0% | 0-6 years | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 65.5 min/d |
Veitch (2010) [122] | English | 187 | 53.0% | 9.1 (0.4) years old | Australia | Cross-sectional | NR |
Villarreal-Calderon (2002) [123] | English | 559 | 47.6% | 10.8 (1.0) years old | Mexico | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration Total: 191 min/d Weekday: 156 min/d Weekend: 226 min/d |
Wang (2018) [124] | Chinese | 2116 | NR | 3-6 years | China | Cross-sectional | NR |
Weir (2006) [125] | English | 204 | 46.6% | Inner city: 7.4 (1.9) years old Suburban: 6.9 (1.6) years old | USA | Cross-sectional | NR |
Wen (2009) [126] | English | 1362 | 52.1% | 10-12 years | Australia | Cross-sectional | NR |
Wijtzes (2014) [127] | English | 4726 | 49.5% | 73 (5.9) months old | Netherlands | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 1 h/d) 66.3% |
Wilkie (2018) [128] | English | 462 | 55.0% | 10.9 (0.5) years old | England | Cross-sectional | Outdoor time duration > 1 h/d after school: 52.2% > 2 h/d on weekends: 61.9% |
Wiseman (2019) [129] | English | 138 | 48.0% | 49.9 (5.4) months old | Australia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Total: 165.4 min/d Weekdays: 11.9 h/week Weekend days: 7.4 h/week |
Xu (2016) [130] | English | 667 | 50.0% | 2 years old | Australia | Longitudinal-Prospective cohort | Outdoor play duration 138 min/d at baseline |
Xu (2017) [131] | English | 497 and 415 mother-child dyads | NR | 2-3.5 years | Australia | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration (≥ 2 h/d) 68.4% |
Yoon (2019) [132] | English | 3449 | 51.7% | Pre-kindergarten to Grade 6 | USA | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration Weekday Total: 81.6 min/d White: 72.5 min/d; Hispanic: 85.6 min/d |
Zahl-Thanem (2019) [133] | English | 800 | 50.2% | 6 years at baseline | Turkey | Longitudinal-Prospective cohort | Outdoor time duration 156 min/d |
Zhai (2018) [134] | Chinese | 403 | NR | 5-12 years | China | Cross-sectional | Outdoor play duration 4.0 h/wk |