The Impact of Parental and Park Factors on Children's Urban Park Use in Shanghai, China

Substantial evidence suggests that the utilization of green spaces may have a significant impact on the physical, psychological, and social health and well-being of children. Therefore, the decline in green space usage among contemporary children indicates a need to explore the factors that affect the frequency of park usage. In this study, a multi-level regression model was developed and used to identify the factors influencing children's use of green parks. Six urban parks in the central city of Shanghai, China, were taken as cases, and the influencing factors of 317 children aged 6–9 years were examined using the two levels of parents and parks. Parental factors included the parents' perception of benefits obtained from park activities, their own childhood outdoor experience, their working hours, and their worries about the potential for accidents. The natural environment scoring tool was adopted for evaluating park features. According to the results, for children aged 6–9 years, parental factors play a decisive role in promoting or preventing their connection with urban parks. The urban park factors, especially their usability, are also important factors promoting children's park use. Therefore, to improve the interaction between children and urban parks, various methods and approaches can be adopted such as education of the parents, green space management, urban planning, and social marketing.