IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i12p5643-d1682439.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessment of the Safety of Children’s Outdoor Public Activity Spaces: The Case of Shanghai, China

Author

Listed:
  • Lili Qin

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Meili Rui

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Xinran Qian

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Zhen Xu

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Shuang Hu

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Linlin Feng

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Ting Zhu

    (School of Economics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China)

  • Wei Xuan

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Tianfeng Lu

    (Sports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

Abstract

Children’s outdoor physical activity (PA) serves as a crucial mechanism for health development, but its safety is affected by urban space design and management. However, most existing studies focus on isolated risk factors or singular spatial typologies, which lack a comprehensive safety assessment framework. This study aims to construct a safety assessment system for children’s outdoor public activity spaces and explore safety optimization strategies. This study employs a mixed methods approach to systematically analyze 13 outdoor public activity spaces across Shanghai, utilizing NVivo 12 Plus for qualitative coding of the data. Based on the coding results, a questionnaire survey targeting parents of children under 12 years old (with a balanced gender ratio) was designed and administered, yielding 509 valid responses. A 32-indicator assessment system was finally constructed via principal component analysis (PCA). The assessment system encompasses seven dimensions: site facilities (24.0%), spatial conditions (16.1%), site management (13.5%), material conditions (13.0%), service facilities (12.8%), traffic and landscape (10.3%), and ground conditions (10.3%). This study provides a quantitative safety assessment instrument for designing child-friendly urban public activity spaces, which has important implications for improving the public health service system and promoting the construction of healthy cities in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Lili Qin & Meili Rui & Xinran Qian & Zhen Xu & Shuang Hu & Linlin Feng & Ting Zhu & Wei Xuan & Tianfeng Lu, 2025. "Assessment of the Safety of Children’s Outdoor Public Activity Spaces: The Case of Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5643-:d:1682439
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5643/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/12/5643/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isabel Marzi & Anne Kerstin Reimers, 2018. "Children’s Independent Mobility: Current Knowledge, Future Directions, and Public Health Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Stavroula Angelaki & Georgios A. Triantafyllidis & Ute Besenecker, 2022. "Lighting in Kindergartens: Towards Innovative Design Concepts for Lighting Design in Kindergartens Based on Children’s Perception of Space," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-22, February.
    3. Yasser Amiour & E. O. D. Waygood & Pauline E. W. van den Berg, 2022. "Objective and Perceived Traffic Safety for Children: A Systematic Literature Review of Traffic and Built Environment Characteristics Related to Safe Travel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-29, February.
    4. Hennink, Monique & Kaiser, Bonnie N., 2022. "Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    5. Bingjie He & Dake Wei, 2024. "Human Factor Performance Evaluation Model for Barrier-Free Access Facilities in Residential Communities Based on Demand Priority Levels of Four Typical Ramps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Yunlong Niu & Mastura Adam & Hazreena Hussein, 2022. "Connecting Urban Green Spaces with Children: A Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-23, August.
    7. Pai Tang & Helen Woolley, 2023. "Optimizing Urban Children’s Outdoor Play Spaces: Affordances, Supervision, and Design Dynamics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-12, October.
    8. Marcia P. Jimenez & Nicole V. DeVille & Elise G. Elliott & Jessica E. Schiff & Grete E. Wilt & Jaime E. Hart & Peter James, 2021. "Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-19, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gülüm Özer & İdil Işık & Jordi Escartín, 2024. "Is There Somebody Looking out for Me? A Qualitative Analysis of Bullying Experiences of Individuals Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Nabetse Baruc Blas-Miranda & Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes & Juan Antonio Miranda-Zuñiga & Marcia P. Jimenez, 2022. "Green Space Exposure and Obesity in the Mexican Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Júlio Belo Fernandes & Diana Vareta & Sónia Fernandes & Ana Silva Almeida & Dina Peças & Noélia Ferreira & Liliana Roldão, 2022. "Rehabilitation Workforce Challenges to Implement Person-Centered Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-9, March.
    4. Chikako Ishizuka & Kei Aoki, 2024. "Drivers of sustained brand engagement: cases of long-term customers of hedonic and utilitarian brands in Japan," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(4), pages 979-989, December.
    5. Daniel Muir & Cristiana Orlando & Becci Newton, 2024. "Impact of summer programmes on the outcomes of disadvantaged or ‘at risk’ young people: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), June.
    6. Reem Mohamed Gouda & Yasser Tawfik Halim, 2025. "The role of sustainable social media content in enhancing customer loyalty in the hospitality industry," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26, December.
    7. Shirelle H. Hallum & Marilyn E. Wende & Farnaz Hesam Shariati & Kelsey M. Thomas & Anna L. Chupak & Eleanor Witherspoon & Andrew T. Kaczynski, 2024. "Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-19, February.
    8. Maria Provenzano & Nicola Cillara & Felice Curcio & Maria Orsola Pisu & Cesar Iván Avilés González & Maria Francisca Jiménez-Herrera, 2024. "Electronic Health Record Adoption and Its Effects on Healthcare Staff: A Qualitative Study of Well-Being and Workplace Stress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(11), pages 1-14, October.
    9. Amro Hassan Ibrahim Alhassan & Zainudin Bin Hassan, 2024. "Understanding the Factors Behind Dropout Decisions: A Study of Primary School Students in Red Sea State, Sudan," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(3s), pages 5023-5034, October.
    10. Jianxin Zhao & Yabing Bai & Yongjing Yang & Xiaolei Li, 2024. "The impact of aerobics on mental health and stress levels: A visualization analysis of the CiteSpace map," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, March.
    11. Kocsis, Zsófia & Pusztai, Gabriella, 2025. "The role of higher education through the eyes of Hungarian undergraduate students and graduates: A qualitative exploratory study," International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET), European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), European Educational Research Association, vol. 12(1), pages 48-75.
    12. Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor & Amirah Mohamad Fuzi & Nurin Farzana Mohamad Fadzil & Afief El Ashfahany, 2025. "Measuring Financial Management and Bankability of Small Business Mumpreneurs through Triangulation Study," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 17(1), pages 328-341.
    13. Yu, Jiazhou & Dong, Dong & Sumerlin, Timothy S. & Kim, Jean H., 2023. "Feasibility of introducing effective alcohol harms reduction strategies in a low regulation region: A qualitative study from Hong Kong," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. Maiss Ahmad & Stephen Wilkins, 2025. "Purposive sampling in qualitative research: a framework for the entire journey," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 1461-1479, April.
    15. Syazuin Sazali & Rozina Muzaffar & Maya Lestari Muchtar & Najibah Binti Yasin, 2025. "From Aspirations to Decisions: A Biographical Study on Factors Influencing Postgraduate Students’ Choices of HEI in Malaysia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 5092-5109, January.
    16. Zhimeng Wang & Yue Li & Jingchen An & Wenyi Dong & Hongqidi Li & Huirui Ma & Junhui Wang & Jianping Wu & Ting Jiang & Guangxin Wang, 2022. "Effects of Restorative Environment and Presence on Anxiety and Depression Based on Interactive Virtual Reality Scenarios," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-27, June.
    17. Hall, Julie & Hawkins, Olivia & Montgomery, Amy & Singh, Saniya & Mullan, Judy & Degeling, Chris, 2022. "Dismantling antibiotic infrastructures in residential aged care: The invisible work of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    18. Zhang, Jinsui & Hu, Min & Jia, Yusheng & Gu, Yuanyuan & Chen, Wen, 2024. "How should regulatory schemes be optimized to enhance deterrence against medical insurance fraud by enrollees? Evidence from a discrete choice experiment in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 354(C).
    19. Miek C. Jong & Trine Stub & Eric Mulder & Mats Jong, 2022. "The Development and Acceptability of a Wilderness Programme to Support the Health and Well-Being of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: The WAYA Programme," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-21, September.
    20. Hossam Mohamed Elhamy & Maha Abdulmajeed, 2023. "Arab Media Researchers’ Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Research Problem Selection," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5643-:d:1682439. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.