Early Childhood Outside (ECO) - Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Summary

Outdoor play is important for children as it can promote healthy social and physical development, emotional well-being, self-confidence, risk management and overall physical activity. Yet, opportunities for outdoor play have been decreasing across generations due to perceptions that it is dangerous and unnecessary. Early childhood educators (ECEs) and administrators are struggling to provide children with high quality and stimulating outdoor play time. To help ECEs and administrators, the investigators have developed a Risk Reframing (RR) digital tool, https://outsideplay.ca, which is underpinned by social cognitive theory (SCT) and health behaviour change techniques.

The aim of the current study is to test the efficacy of the RR digital tool in: 1) increasing ECEs/administrators' tolerance of risk in play; and, 2) attaining their behavior change goal in promoting children's outdoor play at their early childcare center.

The investigators will conduct a single-blind (researchers and outcome assessors) randomized controlled trial and will obtain complete data on at least 206 early childhood educators and administrators currently working in Canada. The RR digital tool is designed for a one-time visit and includes three chapters of self-reflection and experiential learning tasks. The control condition consists of reading the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, a 2-page information sheet on children's active outdoor play.

Primary outcome is increased tolerance of risk in play, as measured by the Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale - teacher version. Secondary outcome is self-reported attainment of a behaviour change goal that participants set for themselves. The investigators will test the hypothesis that there will be differences between the intervention and control conditions with respect to tolerance of risk in play and goal attainment.

Conditions

• Risk Assessment
• Online Intervention
• Child Development

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

RR Digital Tool

This is the intervention condition. Participants in this condition will take the RR digital tool available at https://outsideplay.ca.

BEHAVIORAL

Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

This is the control condition. Participants in this condition will read the position statement that summarizes the issues and research regarding children's access to outdoor play.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Lawson Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mariana Brussoni · University of British Columbia / BC Children's Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

19 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-12-01

Primary Completion

2021-06-30

Completion

2021-06-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations