Understanding the Environmental Supports and Barriers to Physical Activity in DC Child Care Centers

Background: Policymakers are developing a child care wellness policy to support the nutrition and physical activity of D.C.'s youngest children (0-5 years). A policy of this nature will be powerful in its reach as 77% of D.C.'s 3-5 year olds are enrolled in early care and most are low-income. Methods: To support the design of this policy, a scan of 26 D.C. child development centers was conducted with the aim of understanding the environmental supports and barriers to increasing physical activity in child care. Center directors completed a questionnaire, in-depth interview, and assessment of physical infrastructure. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Results: The greatest barrier to physical activity was lack of play space. 38% of centers did not have on-site outdoor play space and reported less daily physical activity time than those with on-site outdoor play space. 81% reported at least one park within walking distance; 35% reported that the neighborhood was unsafe. 54% of centers did not have enough open space for children to run freely. Centers often did not have enough fixed (53%) and portable (39%) play equipment to adequately support physical activity. Conclusion: As with any urban setting, space is at a premium. Creative solutions are needed to provide young children with access to safe spaces to be physically active. Solutions could include shared use agreements for parks and playgrounds at schools and recreation centers; grants for construction of on-site playgrounds; and trainings to help centers support activity within small spaces.