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Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
(Health Day)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The problem of “food deserts” in many parts of the United States has received a lot of attention in recent years. Now researchers are highlighting a similar problem: playing in the desert.
In a recent study, University of Georgia researchers found that in many parts of the country, especially in the South, there are few safe, free parks and playgrounds for families to enjoy with their children.
This is a problem, experts say, because without that opportunity children are more likely to stay home and stare at screens.
It’s no secret that there are areas across the country where grocery stores and other fresh, nutritious foods are hard to come by. These places are called food deserts, and an estimated 10% of the US falls into that questionable category.
New finds show similar proportions thought to be playing in the desert, researchers say Ran MuProfessor of Geography at the University of Georgia, Athens (UGA).
The study found that many of the play-deficient counties are concentrated in the Southeast, where lack of choice and the quality of existing playgrounds are often a problem. The Southwest was also a desert hotspot for play, and a common problem was affordability. Some locations require a membership or fee to enter.
Lead researcher said it’s not enough that parks and playgrounds simply exist in communities Yang JuePhD student at UGA.
Families also need to be brought to such places, she says. Parents are concerned not only with practical things like parking, walkability, toilets and shaded areas to avoid the scorching sun, but also safety and well-maintained playground equipment.
“National data show that the proportion of children spending time outdoors is declining,” he said. Amanda SteianoAssociate Professor of Childhood Obesity and Health Behavior at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Stiano, who was not involved in the study, said only about two-thirds of American children live in environments considered safe. And the percentage is lower among children of color.
“Parental perceptions of crime and safety are causing restrictions on children’s outdoor play,” Steiano said. She and her colleagues found this to be especially true for parents living in disadvantaged areas and for parents of teenage girls.
According to Steiano, this is where the community should intervene.
“Communities should invest in safe parks and recreational facilities with adequate lighting, frequent security patrols and safe amenities to allow for free physical activity options,” she said.
In the latest study, researchers used machine learning technology to examine how counties in the United States are responding to residents’ access to public playgrounds. They applied a “5 A” rating for the county: availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Overall, the South had more deserts with more playgrounds than the rest of the country. And while deserts were more common in rural than urban areas, in the South, even urban areas often lacked adequate playgrounds.
Rural children may be more exposed to nature, or at least backyards, than urban children.
But parks and playgrounds also give children a place to socialize with other children and play organized sports and games, Yang said.
In more urban areas, Steiano said there are also ways to make family time outdoors more friendly, such as protected bike lanes and sidewalks “buffered” from vehicles.
Another option for communities is to negotiate “shared-use agreements” to use schools and other facilities as public recreation areas after hours, she added.
UGA researchers will make an interactive map available online to help county policymakers decide how to add more playgrounds to their communities.
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Source: Dr. Ran Mu, Professor of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens. Jue Yang, PhD Student in Geography, University of Georgia. Dr. Amanda Steiano, Associate Professor, Childhood Obesity and Healthy Behavior, Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge. International Journal of Geographic Information, March 21, 2023, online
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