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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing
Published on: May 28, 2013
Shade coverage, ultraviolet radiation and children's physical activity in early childhood education and care
Hayley Christian1,2, Leanne Lester3, Stewart G Trost4
1School of Population and Global Health (M707), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. hayley.christian@uwa.edu.au.
Objective:
To investigate the association between shade coverage in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres and pre-school children's physical activity, outdoor time and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure.
Methods:
A total of 48 ECEC centres (678 children) in the Western Australian Play Spaces and Environments for Children's Physical Activity (PLAYCE) study took part. Physical activity at ECEC was measured using 7-day accelerometry. UVR exposure was measured using polysulphone film attached to children's shoulders. Educators reported time spent outdoors. The Shade Factor and remote sensing imagery captured shade coverage.
Results:
Centre vegetation but not Shade Factor was significantly negatively associated with children's UVR exposure (p < 0.001). Higher levels of vegetation were associated with increased time outdoors, but higher levels of the Shade Factor were associated with decreased time outdoors (all p < 0.001). Neither shade measure was significantly associated with physical activity. Outdoor time moderated the relationships between shade measures, physical activity and UVR exposure.
Conclusions:
The provision of shade, particularly through natural forms such as tree canopy, is an important sun protection strategy and enabler of outdoor time in children attending ECEC.
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