Journal article
Shade sails and passive recreation in public parks of Melbourne and Denver: A randomized intervention
DB Buller, DR English, MK Buller, J Simmons, JA Chamberlain, M Wakefield, S Dobbinson
American Journal of Public Health | AMER PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOC INC | Published : 2017
Abstract
Objectives. To test whether shade sails will increase the use of passive recreation areas (PRAs). Methods. We conducted a stratified randomized pretest–posttest controlled design study in Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, Colorado, in 2010 to 2014. We randomized a sample of 144 public parks with 2 PRAs in full sun in a 1:3 ratio to treatment or control. Shade sails were built at 1 PRA per treatment park. The outcome was any use of the study PRA (n = 576 pretest and n = 576 posttest observations; 100% follow-up). Results. Compared with control PRAs (adjusted probability of use: pretest = 0.14, posttest = 0.17), use of treatment PRAs (pretest = 0.10, posttest = 0.32) was higher at posttest (od..
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Awarded by National Institutes of Health
Funding Acknowledgements
The project was supported by a grant from the US National Cancer Institute (CA140367). M. Wakefield was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellowship. Gale Pacific Limited provided the shade cloth at no cost for the shade sails built in Melbourne, Australia.