Association of Playground “Playability” With Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure

INTRODUCTION: Children’s physical activity, especially play, is important for healthy physical, social, and psychological development. Playgrounds are public spaces for children, but not all playgrounds are conducive to play and physical activity. We examined “playability,” the ability of a space to promote active play, and associations with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and energy expenditure. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed playground features with the Play Space Audit Tool; we calculated playability scores from audit data, overall and by domain (general amenities, surface, path, and play structure), from playgrounds in 70 parks in Chicago, Illinois, in 2017. We observed 2,712 individuals during the audits and used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities tool to assess MVPA and energy expenditure. We used generalized estimating equation negative binomial regression to calculate incidence rate ratios for MVPA and mixed effects models to calculate energy expenditure (in kcal/kg/min) associated with playability scores. RESULTS: General amenities and play structure scores were associated with 1.28 (95% CI, 1.08–1.52) and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.00–1.31) times as many individuals (any age) engaged in MVPA, respectively. The general amenities score was significantly associated with 0.51 (95% CI, 0.24–0.79) and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.15–0.68) higher energy expenditure in renovated playgrounds and in all playgrounds, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, general amenities and play structure scores were associated with MVPA and were robust to adjustment for weather, neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, and crime. These playground playability indices may strengthen future evaluations of community infrastructure for children’s physical activity.