Background: The Park Rx study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial implemented within a federally qualified health center serving a low-income population in Washington, DC.
Design and setting: The 5-year randomized controlled trial will recruit 500 children, ages 6-16 to be randomized to receive either a park prescription (Park Rx) during routine clinical visits (intervention arm) or care as usual (control arm).
Intervention: Park prescriptions promote both physical activity and exposure to nature. The prescription includes a place (i.e., park), an activity, a frequency, and a duration. Compared to usual care, we expect children receiving a park prescription will have greater physical activity levels and improved physical and mental health outcomes.
Implications: The results of the Park Rx trial will demonstrate the efficacy of the intervention and whether it will increase time spent in nature-rich areas (i.e., parks); have any biological impacts on health, including reducing hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and impact mental health, including stress and cognitive functioning.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04114734. Registered on October 3, 2019.
Keywords: Children; Mental health; Nature; Nature prescription; Outdoor play; Park prescription; Physical activity.
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