This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A new design methodology for school playgrounds is demonstrating how children can still enjoy their playtime while being protected from the harmful effects of the sun. The evidence-based system can be used not only to design new play areas but also to retrofit existing parks exposed to the sun's rays—and is already in use at a school playground in New Zealand.
The methodology behind the design is the focus of a new research paper, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Cities & Health. The research has been led by a team of experts from Lincoln University in New Zealand and Texas A&M University in the U.S. It is hoped that the approach—which uses specific "activity zones" to offer protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) while providing children with optimal play opportunities and the right conditions to do so—could serve as a guide to assessing and improving children's outdoor recreation areas internationally.
"As the world around us heats up and we see longer periods of sunny conditions in the playgrounds that children use, we need to be thinking of the designs that play areas use so that our young people are protected from the harmful effects of the sun," explains lead author Dr. Anupriya Sukumar, from the School of Landscape Architecture at the Lincoln University Faculty of Environment Society and Design. "Simply increasing the amount of green space is not enough alone to mitigate solar ultraviolet light radiation (UVR), a major cause of skin cancer and other health conditions.
"It is difficult to force a child to adopt any healthy behaviors. For example, eating healthily: If the table is already set with the right mix of foods, it makes it more appealing and accessible for them to choose and eat healthily. The same idea applies to playground design.
With the right landscape elements, we can naturally encourage children to seek shade and develop healthy sun protection behaviors. "That is why we began on this mission—play area design plays a crucial role in shaping healthy sun protection behavior among children. And our new design mitigates immediate and long-term risks of UVR overexposure.
"Our new approach will guide best practices and design guidelines to improve playground use, function and sun protection. This is with the aim of ensuring all children remain protected regardless of where they choose to play within the playground." Overexposure to UVR poses a significant public health risk. New Zealand, the location of the study, and Australia have the highest rates of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers globally.
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