Influence of school playground safety on pre-school children participation in outdoor activities in Ekerenyo division, Nyamira county, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, pre-school playground safety has not been given much attention despite being a critical area of concern in child growth and development. This state can be linked to lack of resources, perceived low priority and negative attitude about children’s play or deferral of the activity. The main purpose of the study was to examine influence of playground safety on pre-school children participation in outdoor activities in Ekerenyo division, in Nyamira County. The study objectives included: to establish the influence of playground location on pre-school children participation in outdoor activities in Ekerenyo division, in Nyamira County; to investigate the influence of status of the playground on pre-school children participation in outdoor activities in Ekerenyo division, in Nyamira County; and to assess the influence of playing equipment conditions on pre-school children participation in outdoor activities in Ekerenyo division, in Nyamira County. The study will adopt the theory of self-efficacy to explain the relationship between the study variables. The study used a cross-sectional survey design and correlational research design. The study targeted a population of 26,259 residents in Ekerenyo division. The study sample will comprise of teachers, parents, pre-school children, and education officer. Stratified sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling procedures were applied in sample selection. Questionnaire for parents, focused group discussion for pre-school children and interview guide for education officer were used for data collection. The Cronbach’s Alpha method was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. The questionnaire yielded a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.821 thus the tool was considered reliable. The researcher used content validity to ensure that the tool collected what it was intended; three experts in the field of research were consulted in order to verify whether the instruments are valid. The collected data was analysed with the help of a Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0. Analysed data was presented in frequencies and percentages and summarized in tables and figures. Further, multiple regression analysis was used to test the study variables (location of the playground β=.651; status of the playground β=.761; and condition of the playground equipment β=.921). The study recommended that the school community should ensure that the bushes around the playground are cleared and the risky areas such as swamps are restricted from children reach. The findings of this study may contribute much knowledge in the field of education and more especially on pre-school children safety at the playground in Kenya.