An intergenerational study of perceptions of changes in active free play among families from rural areas of Western Canada

Citation

Holt NL, Neely KC, Spence JC, Carson V, Pynn SR, Boyd KA, Ingstrup M & Robinson Z (2016) An intergenerational study of perceptions of changes in active free play among families from rural areas of Western Canada. BMC Public Health, 16 (1), Art. No.: 829. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3490-2

Abstract
Background: Children's engagement in active free play has declined across recent generations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of intergenerational changes in active free play among families from rural areas. We addressed two research questions: (1) How has active free play changed across three generations? (2) What suggestions do participants have for reviving active free play? Methods: Data were collected via 49 individual interviews with members of 16 families (15 grandparents, 16 parents, and 18 children) residing in rural areas/small towns in the Province of Alberta (Canada). Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis guided by an ecological framework of active free play. Results: Factors that depicted the changing nature of active free play were coded in the themes of less imagination/more technology, safety concerns, surveillance, other children to play with, purposeful physical activity, play spaces/organized activities, and the good parenting ideal. Suggestions for reviving active free play were coded in the themes of enhance facilities to keep kids entertained, provide more opportunities for supervised play, create more community events, and decrease use of technology. Conclusions: These results reinforce the need to consider multiple levels of social ecology in the study of active free play, and highlight the importance of community-based initiatives to revive active free play in ways that are consistent with contemporary notions of good parenting

Keywords
Play; Children; Youth; Rural; Ecological; Community; Qualitative; Physical activity sport

Journal
BMC Public Health: Volume 16, Issue 1