Several factors might affect outdoor play (individual and family aspects, neighbourhood environment, policy and socio-cultural factors). The Covid-19 lockdowns became a barrier to outdoor play and had a greater impact on children with disabilities. This study describes the outdoor activities and play and the contextual factors that affected them in 4- to 13-year-old children with and without disabilities. 1,667 parents answered an online questionnaire with both open-ended and close-ended questions during the first lockdown in Ireland and Italy in 2020. Parents perceived their children as being unable to play outside as they could before Covid-19. The built environment impacted children’s access to outdoor spaces. A content analysis was run on the parents’ responses to open-ended questions describing children’s outdoor activities and play, and the contextual factors affecting them. Results showed that the active role of adults in organising routines, spaces and introducing changes, and the existing features of the outdoor built environment were crucial to support outdoor play. Comparing the contextual factors supporting outdoor play and activities of children with and without disabilities, the main difference concerned the type of role played by the adults. Some differences due to age, gender and nationality were also discussed.

Outdoor play of children with and without disabilities. Insights from the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland and Italy

Bulgarelli D.
First
;
2023-01-01

Abstract

Several factors might affect outdoor play (individual and family aspects, neighbourhood environment, policy and socio-cultural factors). The Covid-19 lockdowns became a barrier to outdoor play and had a greater impact on children with disabilities. This study describes the outdoor activities and play and the contextual factors that affected them in 4- to 13-year-old children with and without disabilities. 1,667 parents answered an online questionnaire with both open-ended and close-ended questions during the first lockdown in Ireland and Italy in 2020. Parents perceived their children as being unable to play outside as they could before Covid-19. The built environment impacted children’s access to outdoor spaces. A content analysis was run on the parents’ responses to open-ended questions describing children’s outdoor activities and play, and the contextual factors affecting them. Results showed that the active role of adults in organising routines, spaces and introducing changes, and the existing features of the outdoor built environment were crucial to support outdoor play. Comparing the contextual factors supporting outdoor play and activities of children with and without disabilities, the main difference concerned the type of role played by the adults. Some differences due to age, gender and nationality were also discussed.
2023
38
3
334
348
https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2022.2089508
Outdoor play, children with disabilities, gender differences, pandemic, contextual factors, content analysis
Bulgarelli D.; Bianquin N.; Barron C.; Emmett M.-J.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Bulgarelli et al_EJSNE_2022.pdf

Open Access dal 02/01/2024

Dimensione 348.22 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
348.22 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1869067
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 4
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 4
social impact