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Poor park planning drives kids indoors

MELBOURNE, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Neighborhood features such as parks and play areas can determine if children watch less television and play fewer computer games, Australian researchers say.

Dr. Jenny Veitch and colleagues at the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research at Deakin University in Australia found time spent using the computer and playing electronic games, but not watching television, rose from 2004 to 2006.

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The study, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, found the more satisfied parents were with the quality of their parks and playgrounds, the less time their children spent using computers and computer games. In addition, the study also found the more satisfied parents were in 2004, the less television their children watched in 2006.

For example, children who lived near a large public open space with a water feature or lived in a cul-de-sac spent less time in sedentary activity with a computer, but those who lived near a park walking path -- which may be perceived as less safe -- spent more time using computers and electronic games, because parents kept them from the park, the study says.

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