I Play, You Play, We Play: Concurrent Activity at Play Streets

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Many children and adolescents do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) levels, despite numerous health benefits.
• PlayStreets, which temporarily close streets to create safe play spaces, are a strategy to increase PA during summer months.
• This intervention can also foster social cohesion by enabling concurrent activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of concurrent activity on physical activity levels at Chicago PlayStreets.
• To determine if the presence of active individuals influences the likelihood of others being active.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) and its mobile application, iSOPARC.
• Physical activity was measured at 11 PlayStreets events during summer 2018.
• Odds ratios were calculated to analyze the association between the presence of active individuals and observed activity levels, stratified by sex and age.

Main Results:

• The presence of an active individual significantly increased the likelihood of others being active across various sex and age groups.
• Active children and active male adults were particularly influential in increasing PA among children and teens.
• The mere presence of another person did not significantly increase activity odds, except in specific sex and age strata.

Conclusions:

• Engaged male adults play a crucial role in enhancing activity levels at PlayStreets.
• Active children can serve as positive influences, promoting physical activity among their peers in these community settings.