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Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health

The Green Schoolyard Study

The Green Schoolyard Study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study evaluates a community-led partnership involving the City of Little Rock and Little Rock School District (LRSD).  The City and LRSD have engaged with other communities across to the US to improve opportunities for outdoor learning, increase access to greenspace and promote health through green schoolyards.  Through the Green Schoolyard Study, UAMS researchers have partnered with several elementary schools to learn how playground features (such as shade and play structures) influence children’s social experiences and physical activity at school, during recess, and throughout the day.  The study is also gaining insight from educators across the LRSD on how to implement successful outdoor education initiatives.

Publications

Evaluation of Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative

Examining relationships between U.S. children’s physical activity levels during recess, school days, and weekend days

Where the children play: Gender gaps in recess physical activity by age and playground area

Playing Alone: Recess Physical Activity and Social Interactions of Children with and Without Obesity and Severe Obesity

This research was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01MD018192. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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