The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative: Changing Community Norms and Improving Opportunities for Physical Activity

项目摘要 小石城绿色校园倡议，得到了全国学校联盟的培训和技术援助。 城市和儿童与自然网络，旨在将两所小学的场地改造成 充满自然的绿地。利用社区学校模式，确定了若干关键需求。这些 包括：（1）户外学习的机会;（2）改善户外游戏体验;（3）安全，欢迎 在学校以外的时间与大自然接触的空间。这两所学校都为低收入，主要是非洲人 美国社区。每所学校都位于一个步行街区的中心，但这些街区的居民 在步行距离之内，居民区进入城市公园的机会有限。这些周围的社区 学校不成比例地受到与身体活动不足有关的心脏代谢状况的影响， 肥胖对孩子来说，更多的主动学习和玩耍的机会可以增加身体活动， 已被证明对儿童的心脏代谢状况有益，并可能有助于解决肥胖相关的 健康差距。这些健康差异在两个社区的儿童中已经很明显， 受这个城市主导的计划的影响，到四年级时严重肥胖的比例更高（体重指数 超过第95百分位数的120%）比其他学校在城市和国家。本研究的目的是 探索改善绿色校园可以减少肥胖的途径- 相关的健康差距，以及改善学术成果和社区福祉。越来越 有关绿色环境对健康益处的文献表明，体力活动、空气质量、睡眠和 社会行为是相互交织的途径，可以防止体重过度增加。数据将被收集 在绿色校园转型之前、期间和之后， 在两所计划学校和小石城学校内的可比非计划学校的儿童 区的该研究旨在了解这些途径如何结合起来发挥作用，以及是否更环保 校园影响游戏模式，增加儿童进行体育活动的机会 他们患严重肥胖症的风险更大。社区和学校一级的执行障碍 还将确定绿色校园干预措施的主要内容，以便为今后的举措提供信息。另一个优点是 研究在于，这两个城市的绿地改善将有不同的方面， 学校这使得更丰富的了解如何特点的绿地和差异， 执行工作影响到这些途径。从小石城的绿色校园计划中吸取的教训将 为减缓儿童严重肥胖症的增长提供实用和具有成本效益的干预措施， 美国各地的社区，并减少与肥胖有关的健康差距。

PROJECT SUMMARY The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative, with training and technical assistance from the National League of Cities and the Children and Nature Network, aims to transform the grounds of two elementary schools into nature-filled greenspaces. Using a community-schools model, several critical needs were identified. These include: (1) opportunities for outdoor learning; (2) improved outdoor play experiences; and (3) safe, welcoming spaces to connect with nature outside of school hours. Both schools serve low-income, predominately African American communities. Each school is centrally located in a walkable neighborhood, but residents in these neighborhoods have limited access to city parks within walking distance. The communities surrounding these schools are disproportionately affected by cardiometabolic conditions linked to inadequate physical activity and obesity. For the children, more opportunity for active learning and play may increase physical activity which has been shown to be beneficial for cardiometabolic profiles of children and may help address obesity-related health disparities. These health disparities are already evident in children in the two neighborhoods being impacted by this city-led program with higher proportions of severe obesity by 4th grade (body mass index exceeding 120% of the 95th percentile) than other schools in the city and state. The goal of this study is to explore the pathways through which green schoolyard improvements can reduce the development of obesity- related health disparities, as well as improve academic outcomes and community well-being. A growing literature on the health benefits of greener environments suggests that physical activity, air quality, sleep, and social behaviors are intertwined pathways that may protect against excess weight gain. Data will be collected on outcomes related to these pathways before, during, and after the green schoolyard transformations from children in the two program schools and in comparable non-program schools within the Little Rock School District. The study is designed to understand how these pathways work in combination and whether greener schoolyards influence patterns of play in ways that improve opportunities for physical activity among children who are at greater risk for developing severe obesity. Community and school-level barriers to implementation of the green schoolyard intervention will also be identified to inform future initiatives. Another strength of this study lies in the fact that there will be different dimensions to the greenspace improvements across the two schools. This allows for a richer understanding of how characteristics of the greenspace and differences in implementation affect these pathways. The lessons learned from Little Rock’s green schoolyards program will inform pragmatic and cost-effective interventions that slow the growth of severe childhood obesity in communities across the United States and reduce obesity-related health disparities.