A longitudinal cohort study by Japanese scientists found that outdoor play habits at age 2.5 reduce the risk of obesity at age seven. As reported in the journal Acta Paediatrica, the study involved 42,812 children whose parents reported where their children typically played: in a garden or on residential property, in parks, natural areas, outdoors, at shrines and temples, in play areas of department stores and supermarkets, or anywhere other than at home.
According to the study's authors, led by Takahiro Tsuge of Kurashiki Medical Center, 91 percent of children maintained outdoor play habits (the first five items in the survey). Adjusting for confounding factors revealed that outdoor play at 2.5 years of age reduces the risk of obesity at age seven by 15 percent. These results confirm the benefits of outdoor play for children, which are used by both parents and preschool teachers.
