1. Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention.
- Author
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Buller, David B., English, Dallas R., Buller, Mary Klein, Simmons, Jody, Chamberlain, James A., Wakefield, Melanie, and Dobbinson, Suzanne
- Subjects
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SHADES & shadows , *RECREATION areas , *PARKS , *SKIN cancer prevention , *PHYSIOLOGICAL effects of solar radiation , *MELANOMA diagnosis , *AGING , *RISK factors of skin cancer , *EQUIPMENT & supplies , *PRE-tests & post-tests , *POPULATION geography , *ENVIRONMENTAL exposure prevention , *CLINICAL trials , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *PUBLIC spaces , *RECREATION , *STATISTICAL sampling , *SUNSHINE , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *ODDS ratio - 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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