What Is the Relationship between Outdoor Time and Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Physical Fitness in Children? A Systematic Review

Casey Gray, Rebecca Gibbons, Richard Larouche, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Adam Bienenstock, Mariana Brussoni, Guylaine Chabot, Susan Herrington, Ian Janssen, William Pickett, Marlene Power, Nick Stanger, Margaret Sampson and Mark S. Tremblay
Additional contact information
Casey Gray: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Rebecca Gibbons: School of Population & Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
Richard Larouche: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter: Department of Physical Education and Health, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Thrond Nergaards Vei 7, NO-7044 Trondheim, Norway
Adam Bienenstock: Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, 64 Hatt Street, Dundas, ON L9H 7T6, Canada
Mariana Brussoni: British Columbia Injury Research & Prevention Unit, Child & Family Research Institute, British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, F511-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
Guylaine Chabot: Evaluation Platform on Obesity Prevention, Quebec Heart and Lung Research Institute, Laval University, 2725 Chemin Ste-Foy, Local Y4283, Quebec, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
Susan Herrington: School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia, 379-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC B6T 1Z4, Canada
Ian Janssen: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON K7L 2P5, Canada
William Pickett: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Carruthers Hall, Kingston, ON K7L 2P5, Canada
Marlene Power: Forest School Canada, 411 Corkstown Road, Ottawa, ON K2K 2Y1, Canada
Nick Stanger: Department of Environmental Studies, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University, 416 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
Margaret Sampson: Library Services, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
Mark S. Tremblay: Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-20

Abstract: The objective of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between outdoor time and: (1) physical activity, (2) cardiorespiratory fitness, (3) musculoskeletal fitness, (4) sedentary behaviour; or (5) motor skill development in children aged 3–12 years. We identified 28 relevant studies that were assessed for quality using the GRADE framework. The systematic review revealed overall positive effects of outdoor time on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and cardiorespiratory fitness, although causality could not be assumed due to a lack of RCTs. Motor skill development was unrelated to outdoor time; however, this relationship was only examined in a single study of preschool children. No studies were found that examined associations between outdoor time and musculoskeletal fitness.

Keywords: outdoor time; physical activity; sedentary behaviour; cardiorespiratory fitness; musculoskeletal fitness; motor skill development; children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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