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An intervention to reduce playground equipment hazards
C A Roseveare1, J M Brown, J M Barclay McIntosh
1Public Health Service, Hutt Valley Health, Wellington, New Zealand. Christine.roseveare@hvh.co.nz
Summary
An intensive health promotion program significantly reduced school playground hazards compared to providing information alone. This approach is more effective for ensuring child safety and preventing injuries.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Child Safety
- Community Intervention
Background:
- Playground hazards pose a significant risk to children's safety in schools.
- Existing safety standards require effective implementation strategies to reduce hazards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion program versus information-only dissemination in reducing playground hazards.
- To test the hypothesis that addressing barriers to implementing the New Zealand Playground Safety Standard reduces hazards.
Main Methods:
- A community intervention trial involving 24 schools in Wellington, New Zealand.
- Schools were randomly assigned to an intervention group (health promotion program) or a control group (information only).
- Playground hazards were audited before and after the 19-month intervention period.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed a significant reduction in playground hazards compared to the control group (p = 0.027).
- Eight of 12 intervention schools reduced hazards by at least three, with no increase observed.
- Only two control schools reduced hazards, while three experienced an increase.
Conclusions:
- Intensive interventions addressing barriers to upgrading playground equipment are effective in reducing hazards.
- This comprehensive approach is superior to simply providing information for enhancing playground safety.