Cosco, N., 2004, Environmental interventions for healthy development of young children in the outdoors, in: OPENspace, ‘Open space, people space’, OPENspace, Edinburgh
- Author : Cosco, N.
- Year : 2004
- Published in Book : Open space, people space
- Abstract in English : Early childhood environmental interventions are needed to counteract the health crisis caused by sedentary lifestyles. In the UK 16 per cent of children aged two to 15 are obese (Health Survey for England, 2002). In the US more than 10 per cent of two to five-year-olds are overweight (Ogden, et al, 2002). The widespread perception that young children are innately active and interventions are not needed is a barrier fro creating appropriative modifications to children's routines and environments. Even the youngest are losing opportunities for active play at childcare centres. Research is showing that they are only active for short periods each day (Reilly, 2004). Environmental interventions may bring a solution. Research shows that the outdoors is the strongest correlate of physical activity (Baranowski, et al, 2000, Sallis, et al, 1993), childcare is the highest predictor of activity (Finn et all, 2002), and that diverse natural environments support attention functioning, gross motor development, health and richer play behaviours (Faber Taylor et al, 2001, Grahn, et al, 1997).
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: children, early childhood development, play, design, health, physical movement, outdoor physical. activity. [paper 6 p.]