Physical Activity and Recreation for Kids Study (PARKS): Park-intensive community outreach for child physical...

Park use among urban children can contribute to higher child physical activity (PA), yet most children do not use parks or park sports programs. The PARKS (Physical Activity and Recreation for Kids Study) group randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of park-level intensive community outreach on change in child MVPA, light and sedentary activity. It was hypothesized that children in the intervention parks would increase their MVPA and decrease their sedentary activity compared to children in the usual parks.

Twenty urban parks were randomized to intensive park outreach or usual outreach. Intervention included monthly meetings with park managers and community partner organizations to support existing and create new community marketing efforts. An evaluation cohort of 430 parent-child dyads who resided near these parks completed PA measures at baseline and 12 months. Generalized linear mixed models estimated mean differences (95% confidence intervals) between treatment groups on child and parent PA outcomes at 12 months.

Cohort retention was 90% at 12 months. No significant intervention effects were observed on child MVPA or sedentary time. Children in the intervention parks showed significantly less decline in their accelerometry-based light PA on average by 9.6 mins/day (95% Confidence Interval: 1.4, 17.7) compared with children in the control group. Parents in the intervention parks showed significantly less increase in accelerometry-based sedentary activity on average -27.3 mins/day (95% Confidence Interval: -52.9, -1.6) compared with parents in the control group.

Park-based intensive community outreach may prevent age-related declines in children's light PA and may reduce increases in parents' sedentary activity. Future park-based interventions must amplify community outreach efforts to strengthen their impact on child PA.