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Children's active play: self-reported motivators, barriers and facilitators
Rowan Brockman1, Russell Jago, Kenneth R Fox
1Centre for Exercise, Nutrition & Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Rowan.Brockman@bristol.ac.uk
BMC Public Health
|June 14, 2011
Summary
Children engage in active play for enjoyment and freedom, but are limited by weather and safety concerns. Understanding these motivators and barriers is key to increasing children's physical activity.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Physical Activity
- Play Behavior
Background:
- Physical activity is crucial for children's health and well-being, yet many do not meet recommended levels.
- Active play offers significant physical, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits.
- Determinants of active play in UK children are not well understood, hindering intervention development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore factors motivating children's active play.
- To identify barriers limiting children's active play.
- To understand facilitators of children's active play.
Main Methods:
- Eleven focus groups conducted with 77 children aged 10-11 years in Bristol, UK.
- Explored motivations, limitations, and facilitators of active play.
- Thematic analysis of verbatim focus group transcripts.
Main Results:
- Children are motivated by enjoyment, boredom prevention, health benefits, and freedom from adult control.
- Barriers include adverse weather and fear of older peer groups.
- Facilitators include green spaces, cul-de-sacs, and mobile phone use to ease parental safety concerns.
Conclusions:
- Children's active play is influenced by a variety of motivational and environmental factors.
- Addressing these identified factors can enhance the effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing active play.
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