Implementing emerging methods to improve evaluations of playground and park renovations: a comparative case study on park use in low-income, predominantly black communities

Abstract Background The few efforts to evaluate the impacts of park and playground renovations in high racial minority and low-income communities face methodological and real-world challenges, resulting in many sources of bias and lack of generalizability. To advance evidence from park and playground natural experiments, we conducted a comparative case study of two renovations in low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods in the United States (Baltimore, MD and Rocky Mount, NC) using emerging methods alongside established approaches. Methods For each case study we (i) adapted a “Guide for Evaluating Playground Interventions” to systematically describe and compare study context; (ii) conducted a quasi-experimental study design using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to measure observed park use and park-based moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at each intervention park and a matched comparison park; and (iii) performed methodological triangulation of results from SOPARC with geolocation mobile device data that measured the weekly average count of park and playground visits using 6-months of time-matched pre-and post-intervention data. Results Findings from one of the case studies indicated significant increases between pre and post intervention for the rate of park use and physical activity at the intervention park and playground as measured by SOPARC, and significant declines in study outcomes at the control park. Geolocation mobile device data provided evidence of confirmation of findings for playground visits. Conclusions Timing of data collection, neighborhood demographics, community involvement, and renovated amenities were some of the key contextual factors that were documented in the adapted “Guide,” and can explain differences in case study findings. The “Guide” provides a straight-forward approach for systematically capturing contextual factors to support transparency in park and playground evaluations. While geolocation mobile device data is scalable and efficient, additional work is needed to validate this method for independent use in rigorous evaluations.