Media release

From: Wiley

Does outdoor play help protect toddlers against later childhood obesity?

New research published in Acta Paediatrica suggests that children who engage in outdoor play during their preschool years have a lower risk of developing obesity later in childhood.

The study included children born in Japan during two weeks in January and July 2001. Of 53,575 children born, 42,812 had data on outdoor play habits at age 2.5 years. In a survey, parents were asked, “Where do your children usually play (excluding home residences and daycare centers attended)?” Available options for answers included “in my garden or on the grounds of my apartment complex,” “in parks,” “in natural areas such as fields, forests, and beaches,” “on the street,” “in shrines and temples,” “in playgrounds in department stores and supermarkets,” “other,” and “don’t play anywhere but inside my home.” If one or more of the first five items were chosen, a child was considered to have exposure to outdoor play—this was the case for 91% of the children.

In follow-up surveys when the children were 7 years old, 31,743 of 42,812 (74%) children had height and weight data, with 10% classified as overweight or obese.

Compared with children without exposure to outdoor play, children with outdoor play habits had 15% lower odds of being overweight or obese, after adjusting for other influencing factors.

“We suggest that parents and caregivers encourage outdoor play habits in their children at an early age, as this may help prevent obesity later in life,” said corresponding author Takahiro Tsuge, MPH, of Kurashiki Medical Center.