Wellington Playgrounds Uncovered: An Examination of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation and Shade Protection in New Zealand

Seeking shade equity: Tree canopy coverage in public schools in Austin, TX

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Tree canopies have dermatologic and environmental benefits, especially on school campuses. However, inequities likely exist, and tree planting initiatives may further exacerbate disparities. We sought to identify any relationship between tree canopy shade on public school campuses in Austin, TX and the socioeconomic makeup of the student population, as well as whether current initiatives appropriately address any inequities.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we used ArcGIS, a publicly available geographic information system (GIS), to calculate the percentage of tree canopy on campuses within the Austin Independent School District (AISD) for the years 2006 and 2022. We compared this with the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced meals (FRM) at each school. The percentages of FRM-eligible students were also compared for "low priority" versus "high priority" neighborhoods, as assigned by Austin's Tree Priority Map.

RESULTS

Among 112 schools analyzed, schools with minority FRM-eligible students had significantly more tree canopy compared to schools with majority FRM-eligible students (19.9% vs. 12.4%, p < .001). When comparing tree priorities, there was a significant difference between the percentage of FRM-eligible students in "low priority" schools compared to "high priority" schools (23.8% vs. 62.2%, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Additional work is needed to rectify inequities in tree canopy access for public school students. Designations such as those used in Austin's Tree Priority Map would likely help direct such efforts. We hope this study encourages future research with GIS by both dermatologists and other health care professionals to promote interdisciplinary work with urban planners.

The Playground Shade Index: A New Design Metric for Measuring Shade and Seasonal Ultraviolet Protection Characteristics of Parks and Playgrounds

Current shading strategies used to protect outdoor playgrounds from harmful solar radiation include the placement of artificial cloth weaves or permanent roofing over a playground site, planting trees in proximity to playground equipment, and using vegetation or surface texture variations to cool playground surfaces. How and where an artificial shade structure is placed or a tree is planted to maximize the shade protection over specific playground areas, requires careful assessment of local seasonal sun exposure patterns. The Playground Shade Index (PSI) is introduced here as a design metric to enable shade and solar ultraviolet exposure patterns to be derived in an outdoor space using conventional aerial views of suburban park maps. The implementation of the PSI is demonstrated by incorporating a machine learning design tool to classify the position of trees from an aerial image, thus enabling the mapping of seasonal shade and ultraviolet exposure patterns within an existing 7180 m2 parkland. This is achieved by modeling the relative position of the sun with respect to nearby buildings, shade structures, and the identified evergreen and deciduous tree species surrounding an outdoor playground.

Skin Cancer Prevention across the G7, Australia and New Zealand: A Review of Legislation and Guidelines

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens' efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Given this, we conducted a comprehensive review of legislation and guidelines pertaining to a variety of sun protection-related topics in countries of the Group of Seven (G7), Australia and New Zealand. Australia was the only country to have banned tanning beds for individuals of all ages, while other select countries have instituted bans for minors. In workplace policy, there is very little recognition of the danger of occupational UVR exposure in outdoor workers, and thus very few protective measures are in place. With regard to sports and recreation, certain dermatological/professional associations have put forward recommendations, but no legislation was brought forward by government bodies outside of Australia and New Zealand. With regard to youth, while there are various guidelines and frameworks in place across several countries, adherence remains difficult in the absence of concrete legislation and standardization of procedures. Finally, only Australia and a few select jurisdictions in the United States have implemented sales tax exemptions for sunscreen products. In light of our findings, we have made several recommendations, which we anticipate will help reduce the rates of melanoma and keratinocyte cancers in years to come. However, minimizing UVR exposure is not without risk, and we, therefore, suggest the promotion of vitamin D supplementation in conjunction with sun protective practices to limit potential harm.

Sun-Safe Zones: Investigating Integrated Shading Strategies for Children's Play Areas in Urban Parks

Although Open Space Ratio is a critical control in the Development Approval process, there are no ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protection guidelines for urban parks. This study explores key strategies for shade provision in children's play areas in urban parks, aiming to promote sun-safe play environments against alarming skin cancer trends. The literature review identified primary issues affecting UVR exposure in public venues, and the research comprises a shade audit of Beaton Park in Dalkeith. The methods involved using virtual park modeling and Shadow Analysis simulations to generate the daily average number of hours in shade for each month. Our recommendations based on this analysis are (a) a minimum canopy cover representing 50% of the entire ground cover; (b) a minimum diameter for a shade (umbrella) of about 2.5 times the diameter of the table; and (c) an ideal umbrella height of 90 cm from the table surface. This research proposes a potential nexus between landscape design and a UVR protection framework for child-friendly Sun-safe Zones (SsZ).

Prevalence and Correlates of Observed Sun Protection Behaviors Across Different Public Outdoor Settings in Melbourne, Australia

Skin cancer prevention efforts in Australia have increasingly incorporated a focus on protection during incidental sun exposure. This complements the long-present messages promoting protection in high-risk settings and avoidance of acute intense bouts of sun exposure. Data from two waves of a cross-sectional direct observational survey was used to assess the prevalence and correlates of N = 12,083 adolescents' and adults' sun protection behavior (arm and leg cover, hat, sunglasses, and shade cover). Individuals were observed in public outdoor settings in Melbourne, Australia during peak ultraviolet (UV) times (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) on summer weekends. Settings included pools and beaches, parks and gardens, and for the first time in 2018, outdoor streets and cafés which may capture more incidental forms of sun exposure and represent another public setting where Australians commonly spend time outdoors. Females and older adults were consistently better protected than males and adolescents. Physical activity was strongly associated with low shade cover across settings. Weather was more strongly associated with sun protection at outdoor streets/cafes and parks/gardens than at pools/beaches but use of observed sun protection (particularly arm cover and covering hat) was low across settings. Continued public education about UV risk and its relation to weather and the seasons is needed to promote the routine use of multiple forms of sun protection during outdoor activities in peak UV times, especially among males and adolescents. Findings also highlight the importance of considering activity demands of public spaces in shade planning to optimize sun protection during outdoor activities in public spaces.

Associations between ultraviolet radiation, tree cover and adolescent sunburns

Background

Sunburn is the strongest risk factor for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Adolescent sunburns are related to higher risk of developing melanoma later in life. Little is known about the association of sunburns and shade, particularly tree cover, around adolescent homes and schools. This linkage study assessed associations of adolescent self-reported sunburns with ambient ultraviolet radiation (UV) and tree cover.

Methods

We analyzed a U.S. national sample of parent–child dyads (n = 1333) from the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The outcome was adolescent sunburns reported for the previous 12 months. GIS buffers around geocoded home and school addresses were used to summarize UV and tree cover. A sensitivity analysis assessed different UV measures and tree cover buffer distances. Logistic regression models estimated the adjusted odds of any sunburns for five models: (1) no environmental variables; (2) spatial variables of latitude and longitude; (3) UV; (4) tree cover; and, (5) a combined model with UV and tree cover. Covariates included common sunburn-related items such as sun protective behaviors, socio-demographics, and latitude. Model residuals were assessed for spatial dependency and clustering.

Results

Overall, 44% of adolescents reported any sunburns in the previous 12 months. For the bivariate associations, lower categories of UV were associated with any reported sunburns (p-trend = 0.002). Home tree cover was not associated with any reported sunburns (p-trend = 0.08), whereas schools with lower categories of tree cover were associated with sunburns (p-trend = 0.008). The adjusted odds of any sunburns by UV tertiles, as a linear tread, was 0.89 (0.76–1.05) (p = 0.17); school tree cover was: 0.91 (0.78–1.07) (p = 0.25). Neither UV nor tree cover, in a combined model, were significant. Sensitivity analyses resulted in the optimal buffer size of 200 m for summarizing tree cover. Spatial dependence of residuals was not significant and clustering was significant for about 6% or less of the sample in each model.

Conclusions

We did not find significant relationships between UV or tree cover and adolescent sunburns, when adjusted by sunburn-related covariates. Better contextual data about where sunburns occurred is needed to identify environmental correlates of sunburn.

Estimation of Individual Exposure to Erythemal Weighted UVR by Multi-Sensor Measurements and Integral Calculation

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can be hazardous to humans, especially children, and is associated with sunburn, melanoma, and the risk of skin cancer. Understanding and estimating adults’ and children’s UVR exposure is critical to the design of effective interventions and the production of healthy UVR environments. Currently, there are limitations to the ways computer modeling and field measurements estimate individual UVR exposure in a given landscape. To address these limitations, this study developed an approach of integral calculation using six-directional (up, down, south, north, east, and west) field-measured UVR data and the estimated body exposure ratios (ER) for both children and adults. This approach showed high agreement when compared to a validated approach using ambient UVR and estimated ER data with a high r-square value (90.72% for child and adult models), and a low mean squared error (6.0% for child model and 5.1% for adult model) in an open area. This approach acting as a complementary tool between the climatology level and individual level can be used to estimate individual UVR exposure in a landscape with a complicated shady environment. In addition, measuring daily UVR data from six directions under open sky conditions confirmed that personal dosimeters underestimate actual individual UVR exposure.

Exposed children, protected parents; shade in playgrounds as a previously unstudied intervention field of cancer prevention

For children, playgrounds represent a central place for physical activity and social interaction. However, at the playground, children are often exposed to sunlight. It is therefore surprising that sun exposure and shade levels at children's playgrounds have, to date, received very little attention internationally. The 'PlaSMa' study presented here addresses this gap in the research, analyzing the percentage of shaded areas compared with the total playground area and the main play area for children in 144 playgrounds in the German city of Mannheim. In addition to this hierarchical linear modeling was used to investigate various social contexts. It was found that, on average, 41% of the total playground area was shaded, while only 22% of the main play area for children was in the shade. Consequently, in many cases, children play in direct sunlight, while parents and caregivers sit in the shade. These results were found to be independent of social area characteristics.

Using Google Earth to Assess Shade for Sun Protection in Urban Recreation Spaces: Methods and Results

Shade in public spaces can lower the risk of and sun burning and skin cancer. However, existing methods of auditing shade require travel between sites, and sunny weather conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of free computer software-Google Earth-for assessing shade in urban open spaces. A shade projection method was developed that uses Google Earth street view and aerial images to estimate shade at solar noon on the summer solstice, irrespective of the date of image capture. Three researchers used the method to separately estimate shade cover over pre-defined activity areas in a sample of 45 New Zealand urban open spaces, including 24 playgrounds, 12 beaches and 9 outdoor pools. Outcome measures included method accuracy (assessed by comparison with a subsample of field observations of 10 of the settings) and inter-rater reliability. Of the 164 activity areas identified in the 45 settings, most (83%) had no shade cover. The method identified most activity areas in playgrounds (85%) and beaches (93%) and was accurate for assessing shade over these areas (predictive values of 100%). Only 8% of activity areas at outdoor pools were identified, due to a lack of street view images. Reliability for shade cover estimates was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97, 95% CI 0.97-0.98). Google Earth appears to be a reasonably accurate and reliable and shade audit tool for playgrounds and beaches. The findings are relevant for programmes focused on supporting the development of healthy urban open spaces.