Developing an evidence-informed conceptual framework to update the 2015 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

Background
In 2015, the founders of Outdoor Play Canada (OPC) launched the “Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play”, highlighting the benefits of active outdoor play for children’s health. Considering the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the Position Statement, OPC and an 11-person Leadership Group consisting of researchers from every inhabited continent are spearheading an update to the Position Statement (version 2.0). This update aims to describe the impact of the original Position Statement, identify lessons learned, and expand the content and reach. To guide this work, a conceptual framework was developed through a robust process involving international researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Purpose
To describe the team’s evidence-informed conceptual framework and the iterative process leading to its creation.

Methods
Multiple methods (e.g., environmental scan, text mining, chat GPT, linked network analysis) were used to determine key themes in the outdoor play literature. Based on these findings, the Leadership Group determined a candidate set of core elements for the framework. The draft framework underwent a consensus process whereby members (n=98) of a multidisciplinary Steering Committee provided feedback and level of agreement with each element proposed for the Position Statement 2.0.

Findings
The final conceptual framework consists of nine overlapping elements: Education & Learning, Movement Behaviours, Health & Wellbeing, One Health, Nature & Environment, Human Rights & Policy, Community, Connections, & Partnerships, Social Capital, and Emerging Areas. The framework highlights that all elements have benefits and risks associated with outdoor play.

Conclusion and Practical Implications
This framework will guide the development of the Position Statement 2.0, informing various sectors (e.g., community, healthcare, education) in addressing the importance of outdoor play. The process used to develop the framework may serve as a cross-sectoral example of how to incorporate novel methodologies to create evidence-informed frameworks to guide research, practice, and policy efforts.

Funding
The Lawson Foundation.