Associations Between School-Based Recess Interventions and Student Chronic Absenteeism in Low-Income California...

Recess-based interventions promote physical activity, socioemotional development, and positive school climates and may also influence attendance, but remain understudied. We examined the association between exposure to recess-based interventions through the nonprofit Playworks and chronic absenteeism in low-income California elementary schools.

Observational study including 4361 Title I schools from 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, with 384 Playworks-exposed schools (85 high-dose program exposure, 299 low-dose program exposure). Adjusted regression models estimated differences in the proportion of chronically absent students, overall and by student race and ethnicity, between Playworks-exposed and nonexposed schools.

Playworks-exposed schools had a 0.6% (95% CI, -1.1 to -0.1) lower proportion of chronic absenteeism than nonexposed schools, with notable differences among Hispanic students (-1.95%; 95% CI, -3.7 to -0.5). Schools with high-dose Playworks demonstrated statistically significantly lower chronic absenteeism than nonexposed schools (24.6% vs. 26.4%; 95% CI, -2.7 to -0.7).

Recess-based programs like Playworks may support school attendance, with potential to address disparities for students most impacted by chronic absenteeism. Districts might consider incorporating recess programs into multi-tiered attendance strategies.

Playworks exposure, especially at high doses, is associated with lower chronic absenteeism in low-income elementary schools, especially among Hispanic students.