Children more likely to run around when parents keep their distance

American researchers from North Carolina State University observed 20 parks over an eight-week period to examine how families use their facilities. From 10am-7pm they recorded the number of children in the park, their gender, and estimated their age and how active they were.

Of the 2,712 children observed, 34 per cent were engaged in walking and 13 per cent in vigorous physical activity.

Their findings suggest that children who were monitored too closely by hovering - or ‘helicopter’ parents - were more likely to be prevented from getting good exercise.

Girls in particular were less likely to be observed in higher levels of physical activity.

However, facilities such as basketball courts or football coaching programmes increased the likelihood of children aged five and above engaging in a higher level of activity, as did the presence of other active children.

Dr Jason Bocarro, associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at North Carolina State, who led the study, said, ‘It’s a catch-22 for today’s parents. Many parents are worried about the safety of their children, so tend to hover over them. The worry is - especially as we are seeing childhood obesity become an epidemic - hovering is keeping kids from running around and playing with their peers, and instead maybe sitting in front of the computer or television.’

The research,  ‘Park-Based Physical Activity among Children and Adolescents’, is published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.