Shade in urban playgrounds in Sydney and inequities in availability for those living in lower socioeconomic areas

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the differences between the amount of shade covering typical activity areas in playgrounds of higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) areas within metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Methods: Using an established audit tool, surveyors visited 139 urban playgrounds and made 1,033 shade observations recording the estimated percentage of an activity area that was covered by shade and the type of shade available. Results: Shade coverage was significantly associated with SES of an area and with type of activity area (p