Avril Johnstone

University of Glasgow | UofG · MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

Nature-based play benefits children's health and development. However, the delivery of this in early learning and childcare centres (ELC) is extremely diverse, and implementation is not well understood. We applied a systems science perspective to understand the factors crucial to implementing nature-based outdoor play in ELC settings. Through Group...

Outdoor and nature experiences including play have been shown to be beneficial for children's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Parents/carers play an important role in encouraging or impeding their child's access to the outdoor environment and participation in outdoor play. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on...

Background The 2021 Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card aimed to identify secular trends and socio-economic inequalities, and to assess the health of children and youth prior to COVID-19. Methods An expert panel searched for data published in 2018–2020. Grades were assigned to nationally representative data using the Active Healthy Kids Globa...

Background A recent dialogue in the field of play, learn, and teach outdoors (referred to as “PLaTO” hereafter) demonstrated the need for developing harmonized and consensus-based terminology, taxonomy, and ontology for PLaTO. This is important as the field evolves and diversifies in its approaches, contents, and contexts over time and in different...

Nature-based play and learning provision is becoming increasingly popular across the early learning and childcare (ELC) sector in Scotland. However, there remains a lack of understanding of how the program is expected to function. This has implications for program learning and may affect wider rollout of the program. Secondary data analysis of pare...

This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2–7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-leve...

Background: The purpose was to synthesize evidence on the association between nature-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) and children's physical activity (PA) and motor competence (MC). Methods: A literature search of 9 databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if (1) children were aged 2-7 years old and attending ECE, (2)...

Background: Several systematic reviews have reviewed the evidence relating to nature on aspects of children and adolescent's health and wellbeing; however, none have looked at the associations or effectiveness of attending nature-based early childhood education (ECE). The main objective is to systematically review and synthesise the evidence to de...

Introduction: The 2018 Report Card provides a ‘state of the nation’ assessment of the physical activity (PA) and health of children and adolescents in Scotland, focusing on obesity prevalence. Methods: We graded eleven PA and health indicators based on data which were: recent, derived from nationally representative surveys, affected by minimal bia...

Introduction Active play is a novel approach to addressing low physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in childhood and new interventions must be developed and evaluated. Aim This study aimed to determine the feasibility of a 10-week school-based ‘active play’ intervention, and present preliminary findings on four outcomes:...

Previous Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Cards from 2013 and 2016 (www.activehealthykidsscotland.co.uk) demonstrated that only a small minority of Scottish school-aged children and adolescents meet the recommended amount of daily moderate-tovigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA; ≥60 minutes). These low levels of MVPA occur despite a favora...

Background: Children's physical activity levels are low and efforts to improve their physical activity levels have proven difficult. Freely chosen and unstructured physical activity (active play) has the potential to be promoted in a variety of settings and potentially every day of the year in contrast to other physical activity domains, but activ...

Active play is a novel approach to addressing low physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children. This study aimed to determine if a new school-based, ‘Go2Play Active Play’ intervention improved school day physical activity and FMS. This was a pragmatic evaluation conducted in Scotland during 2015–16. Participants (n=172...

Background: The 2016 Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card aims to improve surveillance of physical activity (PA), facilitate international comparisons, and encourage evidence-informed PA and health policy. Methods: Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card methodology was used: a search for data on child and adolescent PA and health published a...

Background No studies have examined associations in objectively measured sedentary time between parents and young people using activPAL posture sensors, which provide a more accurate estimate of sedentary time compared to accelerometer-based devices. This study examines patterns and associations of activPAL measured sedentary time and number of sed...