A longitudinal cohort study by Japanese researchers has 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 usually played: in the garden or on the grounds of their residential complex, in parks, in natural areas, outdoors, at shrines and temples, in play areas of department stores and supermarkets, or nowhere except at home.
According to the study authors, led by Takahiro Tsuge of Kurashiki Medical Center, 91 percent of children had outdoor play habits (the first five items in the survey). Adjusting for confounding factors, outdoor play at age 2.5 reduced the risk of obesity at age 7 by 15 percent. These results support the benefits of outdoor play for children, which is used by both parents and daycare providers.
