The Park Rx trial to increase physical activity among low-income youth

The Park Rx study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial implemented within a federally qualified health center serving a low-income population in Washington, DC.

The 5-year randomized controlled trial will recruit 500 children, ages 6-16 to be randomized to receive either a park prescription (Park Rx) during routine clinical visits (intervention arm) or care as usual (control arm).

Park prescriptions promote both physical activity and exposure to nature. The prescription includes a place (i.e., park), an activity, a frequency, and a duration. Compared to usual care, we expect children receiving a park prescription will have greater physical activity levels and improved physical and mental health outcomes.

The results of the Park Rx trial will demonstrate the efficacy of the intervention and whether it will increase time spent in nature-rich areas (i.e., parks); have any biological impacts on health, including reducing hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and impact mental health, including stress and cognitive functioning.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04114734. Registered on October 3, 2019.