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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Dec;107(12):1869-1875.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304071. Epub 2017 Oct 19.

Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention

David B Buller  1 , Dallas R English  1 , Mary Klein Buller  1 , Jody Simmons  1 , James A Chamberlain  1 , Melanie Wakefield  1 , Suzanne Dobbinson  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention

David B Buller et al. Am J Public Health. 2017 Dec.

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 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71, 8.94). Shade increased use of PRAs in Denver (control: pretest = 0.18, posttest = 0.19; treatment: pretest = 0.16, posttest = 0.47) more than Melbourne (control: pretest = 0.11, posttest = 0.14; shaded: pretest = 0.06, posttest = 0.19; OR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.09, 8.14).

Conclusions: Public investment in shade is warranted for skin cancer prevention and may be especially useful in the United States.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02971709.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Plot of Mean Probability of Use of Study Passive Recreation Areas (PRAs): Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, CO, 2010–2014 Note. Whiskers indicate 95% confidence intervals. By experimental condition (treatment vs control) and testing period (pretest [Pre] vs posttest [Post]) adjusted for wave, use of comparison PRA, and covariates.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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