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

项目总结 小石城绿色校园倡议，由全国绿色校园联盟提供培训和技术援助 城市和儿童与自然网络，旨在将两所小学的场地改造成 充满大自然的绿地。利用社区-学校模式，确定了几个关键需求。这些 包括：(1)户外学习的机会；(2)改进的户外游戏体验；(3)安全、欢迎 在课余时间与自然交流的空间。这两所学校都面向以非洲人为主的低收入人群。 美国社区。每所学校都位于一个可步行的社区的中心位置，但这些地区的居民 在步行距离内，社区通往城市公园的途径有限。这些城市周围的社区 学校受到心脏代谢疾病的影响不成比例，这些疾病与体力活动不足和 肥胖。对于孩子来说，更多的主动学习和游戏的机会可能会增加身体活动，这 已被证明有益于儿童的心脏代谢特征，并可能有助于解决与肥胖相关的问题 健康差距。这些健康差异在这两个社区的儿童中已经很明显了 受这一城市主导的计划的影响，四年级严重肥胖者的比例较高(体重指数 超过第95个百分位数的120%)超过该市和州的其他学校。这项研究的目标是 探索绿色校园改善可以减少肥胖发展的途径- 与此相关的健康差距，以及改善学业成绩和社区福祉。一个不断增长的 有关绿色环境对健康有益的文献表明，体力活动、空气质量、睡眠和 社交行为是相互交织在一起的路径，可能会防止体重过度增加。将收集数据 关于绿色校园改造之前、期间和之后与这些道路相关的结果 这两个方案学校和小石城学校内类似的非方案学校的孩子 地区。这项研究旨在了解这些途径是如何结合在一起的，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 患严重肥胖症的风险更大。社区和学校层面的实施障碍 还将确定绿色校园干预措施的实施情况，以便为今后的举措提供信息。这方面的另一种力量 研究表明，这两个城市的绿地改善程度不同 学校。这使我们能够更丰富地了解绿地的特点和 实施会影响这些途径。从小石城绿色校园计划中学到的教训将 提供实用和成本效益高的干预措施，减缓#年严重儿童肥胖症的增长 并减少与肥胖相关的健康差距。

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.