The implementation of a pilot playground markings project in four Australian primary schools

Abstract

Issue addressed: Increasing childhood overweight and obesity rates need strategies that promote and engage children in more physical activity and school is one setting for this. This pilot project aimed to determine if coloured playground markings are an effective strategy, in the Australian context, to increase students? physical activity during school break times in primary schools. Methods: Four schools participated, two as intervention schools and two as control schools. A combination of data collection methods were used, including accelerometers on students, playground observations and a teacher survey. Results: The accelerometer and observation data did not show an improvement in the physical activity levels of the intervention students compared to the control students. The teacher survey was positive in all aspects of the project implementation. Observations suggest that most students were active in large grass areas rather than around the playground markings. Conclusion: Based on our data, it is unclear whether playground markings are an effective intervention to increase physical activity in the school setting. The amount of playing space available appears to influence the use of the playground markings.