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

Abstract

Providing effective shade in summer recreation spaces can reduce children's risk of skin cancer. This study explored the quantity and protective quality of shade in Wellington, New Zealand playgrounds. Two researchers visited 50 randomly selected playgrounds during peak ultraviolet radiation (UVR) hours in summer and recorded the mean shade cover of playground equipment, seats, tables and open areas. A solar meter was used to calculate the proportion of UVR blocked by each built structure and tree. The results found that 95% of playground equipment and 64% of sitting and eating areas had no shade protection. Trees blocked a mean of 80.1% (95% CI: 66.0–94.1) of direct solar UVR, but mostly covered open areas, not playground equipment, seats and tables. The findings demonstrate that Wellington playgrounds have insufficient shade available. Increased shade in Wellington playgrounds is urgently needed to protect children from harmful UVR exposure, particularly through planting trees with heavy foliage and building structures with large, protective roofing. This may well be the case for other regions of NZ and for other countries where UVR exposure is dangerous. The method used in this study provides a reliable means to evaluate shade.