Table 2.
Number of Child Care Centers Meeting Physical Activity Best Practice Recommendations by State From the 254 Center Directors Surveyed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
| Number (%) of centers meeting best practice |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommendation | Massachusetts (n = 139) |
Rhode Island (n = 115) |
P a |
| Physical activity | |||
| Children go outside every day, weather permitting | 125 (92.6) | 108 (93.9) | .16 |
| Center has outdoor play area | 135 (98.5) | 115 (100.0) | .19 |
| Playground has limited fixed play structures | 88 (63.3) | 66 (57.4) | .34 |
| Playground has variety of portable play equipment | 75 (54.0) | 71 (61.7) | .21 |
| Center has indoor play area | 71 (53.0) | 53 (46.9) | .34 |
| Weather | |||
| Children allowed outside in light rain | 76 (57.6) | 46 (42.2) | .02 |
| Children allowed outside in snow | 108 (81.2) | 70 (63.1) | .002 |
| Children allowed outside if playground wet | 102 (78.5) | 76 (70.4) | .15 |
a
Chi-square test comparing proportion of centers meeting best practice by state.